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Follow on Google News | Team USA's "Captain America" turning love of karate into a businessHe earned the nickname “Captain America” on the USA Olympics Karate team. And on Saturday, UT Dallas student and karate world champion Tom Scott will receive another distinction: a master’s degree in innovation and entrepreneurship.
By: UT Dallas But in the ring, they call him Captain America. The Naveen Jindal School of Management (http://jindal.utdallas.edu/) Karate has taken the elite athlete to competitions around the world. It’s also what led him to UT Dallas. Scott, 23, will graduate Saturday with a master's degree in innovation and entrepreneurship (http://jindal.utdallas.edu/ At the Jindal School, Scott took courses in entrepreneurship, startups and sales — all while competing across the globe. He was at the Wado World Championships in London in October and the World Games in Colombia just before the fall semester started. Dr. Joseph C. Picken (http://jindal.utdallas.edu/ “He’s done a remarkable job of balancing international travel — heavy international travel — with school work,” said Picken. “He’s told me that he’s had this dream for a long, long time of teaching advanced level karate, and felt like he could convert that into a business somewhere down the line, but didn’t realize how much he didn’t know until he began to take some of these courses,” Picken said. “He told us it helped him quite a bit.” The innovation and entrepreneurship program emphasizes the need to validate business ideas and to learn the skills to effectively manage a venture. “He’s done a remarkable job of balancing international travel — heavy international travel — with school work.” Picken teaches that even the best ideas will not work unless entrepreneurs learn enough about the process to avoid making mistakes. Scott developed and analyzed his business idea in a startup launch class, which requires students to test their ideas by conducting market research, including interviews with prospective customers. “This process makes an individual aware of the significant time and personal commitment it takes to get a new venture of any kind started,” said senior lecturer Dan Bochsler (http://jindal.utdallas.edu/ Hard work does not scare Scott, who is used to training for five hours a day leading up to competitions. Scott took his first martial arts class at the Academy of Classical Karate when he was 8. He loved it so much he stopped playing other sports. He earned his black belt when he was 16. At age 18, Scott joined Team USA. He earned a second-degree black belt when he was 19. Karate has been sanctioned as an Olympic sport, but it has not yet been included in the games. “I love the challenge of competing,” said Scott, who has had at least six broken noses by his count plus plenty of pulled muscles and bruises to show for it. Now that he has earned his master’s degree, Scott hopes to move forward with his business dreams. But first, he’s got a competition to win. The next stop is Peru, where Scott will compete in the Panamerican Karate Federation championships this month. “I am very thankful for my time spent at UT Dallas and with my instructors,” Master's in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Students can choose between two concentrations — new ventures or innovation within the corporation. The program has been recognized as a 2014 National Model Master's Program by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. read more (http://jindal.utdallas.edu/ End
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