Scholarship Winner | Isaac Sada

Each semester, Jet sponsors the Future Business Leaders Scholarship in an effort to help one college student with some of their education cost. Congratulations to Isaac Sada, who has been selected as the recipient of the Fall 2023 award.

Isaac is attending Baylor University for his Master in Business Administration and completing his Medical Doctorate (MD) at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. He is expected to graduate in 2024.

Isaac was asked what advice he can give to current college students, and his response was as follows:

"Briefly, I would just like to share what has helped me get through college and the rigor of medical school. First and foremost, the backbone of my grit and discipline comes from my faith. No matter what the faith is I believe that taking care of your spirit is just as important as your body. Secondly, having a very strong support system that is willing to listen to your good and bad moments. Lastly, always keep in mind that being competitive is very healthy. Although society deems it as a negative, I truly believe that a healthy mindset mixed with a nontoxic approach to competition can get you really far no matter the domain. There are many bumps on the road, and the route to success is never linear nor easy. Setbacks are meant to happen and come in unexpected times but having these three fundamentals concrete can get you exceptionally far in life."

Prompt

Would you rather work for team of 10 people where everyone made $75,000 annually or on a team of 10 where the top performer takes home 40% of the value created by the team, #2 performer gets 15%, #3 gets 10% and the rest get 5%? Explain.

Isaac's Essay

As I sit down at my desk and reflect on my professional journey, I am struck by the realization that I have always thrived in competitive environments. From the moment I was old enough to play sports, I was drawn to the intensity and energy of competition. And as I grew older and entered the workforce, I found that I brought that same level of passion and drive to my professional pursuits. One of the most vivid examples of this was my time working at a startup company where the team was incredibly competitive. Like the scenario described, the top performer received a significant percentage of the value created, and the rewards trickled down from there. While this might seem cutthroat to some, I found it invigorating. The first few weeks on the job were tough, as everyone was jockeying for position and trying to prove their worth. But as time went on, I found that I began to rise to the top. My competitive nature drove me to work harder and smarter, to take risks and make bold moves, and to push myself beyond what I thought was possible. And as I did so, I began to reap the rewards. Not just in terms of financial compensation, but also in the sense of personal fulfillment that comes from achieving your goals and knowing that you've made a significant impact. But it wasn't just about me. What I loved about working in that environment was that it brought out the best in everyone on the team. We were all pushing each other to be better, to do more, to think outside the box. And as a result, we accomplished some incredible things together. Of course, it wasn't always easy. There were times when tensions ran high, and disagreements broke out. But even in those moments, I found that our competitiveness was what drove us forward. We were all so passionate about the work we were doing that we couldn't help but care deeply about every decision and every outcome. Looking back, I realize that the experience of working in such a competitive environment helped me grow in ways that I never could have imagined. It taught me the value of hard work, of persistence, of risk-taking, and of collaboration. And it instilled in me a deep sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from knowing that you've truly earned your success. So as I consider future opportunities, I can't help but be drawn to the idea of working for a team that values competition and rewards excellence. Because for me, that's where I know I'll thrive and be able to make the most significant impact. My final thoughts on the scenario is that the first team also had more transparency in their compensation system. Everyone knows what they have to achieve to be a top performer and earn the larger share of the value created. In contrast, the second team's compensation system is opaque, and have no control over compensation.