Veteran and Future Darden MBA Summits Mount Everest Ahead of Business School

This summer, while beginning preparation for his move to Charlottesville, Andrew Katz (Class of 2027) achieved a lifelong dream: summiting Mount Everest.

“It all started in second grade,” recalls Katz, who will begin his first year at the Darden School of Business in August.

A graduate of The United States Military Academy West Point, Katz served as an infantry officer, completed Army Ranger School, and commanded personnel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

“My teacher rolled the TV cart in to show us a documentary about tectonic plates. At the end, a photo of Everest flashed across the screen where two tiny climbers stood at the top. I knew in that moment that I’m going to climb this.”

Raised in the D.C. area and a graduate of The United States Military Academy West Point, Katz served as an infantry officer, completed Army Ranger School, and commanded personnel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

Katz also simultaneously worked as a military aide for two presidential administrations. After transitioning from active duty, Katz chose a career in management consulting, supporting the Pentagon’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative, which sparked his interest in launching a defense tech startup.

Before beginning his next chapter at Darden to pursue that goal, Katz created space for one more milestone: Everest.

“I stepped away from my job, risked a gap in my resume, and fully committed to this expedition,” Katz said. “It was the culmination of more than a decade of mountaineering and a lifetime of learning how to take on risk for the sake of growth.”

President Joe Biden, joined by First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, attends the Medal of Honor Ceremony for Ret. U.S. Army Col. Ralph Puckett, Jr. Friday, May 21, 2021, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Katz joined a team of international climbers, none of whom had climbed Mount Everest before. With extensive mountaineering training during his time at Ranger School and rigorous preparation in the Colorado mountains prior to the expedition, Katz was a natural fit within this experienced climbing group.

Together they faced a 60-day journey to Everest’s summit that was marked by harsh weather, unforeseen and life-threatening dangers, and moments of profound personal growth.

Katz crossing a crevasse as he climbs Mount Everest.

“There were things no training could prepare me for,” Katz said. “A windstorm destroyed our tent and wiped out nearly all of our gear at high camp. We had to make an emergency descent, then spend three days scrounging just enough equipment to continue.”

On summit day, just after reaching the peak, Katz’s oxygen hose tore free. “I was at the cruising altitude of a commercial airliner with no oxygen. My teammate had a spare, and together we figured out how to replace the line as I was hanging on by a thread. It was life or death.”

It was during these unanticipated challenges that Katz learned the biggest lessons.

“The real growth doesn’t come from standing on top of the world. It doesn’t come from ice climbing up a 40-foot vertical ice wall on a thin rope that’s frozen solid,” Katz said. “The real growth comes in how you respond to those decisions that lie in the gap between expectation and reality.”

Now, as he prepares to start at Darden in August, Katz is bringing the Everest mindset with him: to embrace the unexpected as he chases his professional and personal goals in Charlottesville.

While pursuing a post-MBA career in defense tech, Katz is already thinking about how he can give back. He plans to start a nonprofit low-cost hiking camp for kids, and he hopes to pilot this project in the Shenandoah mountains with children of Darden and other UVA faculty.

“I’d like to combine the best lessons I learned from the military and mountaineering to create an opportunity for young kids to develop confidence, establish direction, and build community through mountaineering alpine experiences.”

Having conquered Mount Everest, Katz hopes he can inspire his future classmates to pursue their passions outside of the classroom and boardroom. He feels the ability to tell stories about our ambitions and hobbies enhances our capacity to connect with others and communicate effectively in business contexts.

Katz continued by pointing to his own journey as a clear example of how personal passion can become a powerful narrative.

Katz faced a 60-day journey to Everest’s summit that was marked by harsh weather, unforeseen and life-threatening dangers, and moments of profound personal growth.

“Everest and mountaineering are a part of mine, and these may seem like risky hobbies or distractions from my professional career, but I can tell you with the utmost certainty my hobbies have made all the difference. It truly has opened doors, it has started conversations, and honestly, it just brings out my happiest form.”

As for the UVA pennant Katz held high on Everest’s summit? That was given to him by a friend and mentor, a Darden alumnus, the day he dropped Katz off at the airport for Nepal.

“It was in his apartment when he was a student at Darden nearly two decades ago,” Katz shared. “Standing on top of the world holding that flag was more than just a celebration of a dream achieved. It was a promise to keep growing, and Darden is the next step in that journey.”