Bennet Hayes vividly remembers the first time, early in his first year, when he walked into the office of Emily Anderson at Owen’s Career Management Center.

First, some background: For six years, before a brief, one-year foray into marketing, Bennet had been a professional poker player based in Las Vegas. Out of more than 500,000 online poker tournament players, he ranked among the top 50 in terms of earnings.

At the same time, Bennet confesses, “I was worried that (after poker) I would never be able to hop back in the traditional professional funnel. He was hoping an MBA could lead him into a new career in consulting, but he was plagued by self-doubt.

When he talked about his concerns for the first time with Emily, he says, “She didn’t blink at the thought of me working for a big consulting firm. She even told me she thought I would be a fit at Boston Consulting Group.

“Recruiting isn’t easy, and the thought of the process was daunting, but Emily’s confidence in that meeting was a crucial boost for me.”

Less than nine months later, Emily’s confidence was rewarded. Bennet landed an internship with Boston Consulting Group, a few miles up the road from his hometown.

“Owen,” he says, “has turned what I thought to be unrealistic, potentially impossible goals and thoughts into my reality."

Fun Fact: A former freelance journalist whose work appeared in Sports Illustrated (si.com), USA Today and The Sporting News, Bennet has been to more than 150 college basketball arenas.

“Owen has turned what I thought to be unrealistic, potentially impossible goals and thoughts into my reality.”