When Joubert Klopper received an extra year of eligibility to play men’s tennis for Vanderbilt, he realized he had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dive deeply into finance. “I learned in undergrad that I absolutely love finance,” says the South African native, “so I decided to enroll in Vanderbilt’s MSF program.”

He was motivated in part by rave reviews of Vanderbilt’s Business School from 2 former teammates, George Harwell and Marcus Ferreira, which proved well-founded once Joubert looked deeper. “I liked the close-knit community of students and faculty,” he says. “It was an absolute dream to live every day with my best friends, doing what I love—tennis and finance—at Vanderbilt.”

Joubert maintained the highest GPA among tennis team members during his time at Vanderbilt and was honored as the 2023 SEC men’s tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He appreciated the academic rigor of the MSF program and its immersive structure. “You work incredibly hard with some of the world's most talented students and faculty,” he says. “If you can embrace the challenges, victories, and opportunities Vanderbilt has to offer, you will grow not only intellectually but collectively as a person.”

He found his athletic background—particularly his experience balancing the demands of playing on a college athletic team while carrying a full academic load—prepared him for the MSF program’s emphasis on teamwork and team building. “The way Vanderbilt Business encourages connection and collaboration with your peers made it feel like home to me,” he says.

Despite the challenges, Joubert believes the program positioned him to succeed. “I am better prepared in every aspect when it comes to knowledge of finance and investment banking,” he says. “I am also more intellectually curious; I read a lot more, I follow the news, and I try to understand how to apply what I’m learning in class to what’s happening in the world at a macro level.”

“I am proud of the person I became at Vanderbilt,” he says. “I’ve matured and found myself here in ways that allowed me to explore the very best Vanderbilt offers from both an academic and athletic standpoint.”

Fun Fact: Joubert played professional tennis and was selected for South Africa’s Davis Cup team.

I am proud of the person I became at Vanderbilt.