In School of Management student MeLinda McCall’s world, sleep is overrated and planning is key. “If it’s important, then you make time for it,” she says. “Planning is critical to fit it all in.” 

That attitude explains how McCall, soon to receive a $10,000 Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholarship, is able to juggle so many tasks with seeming ease.

The married mother of a 2-year-old girl will graduate from the School of Management’s Full-Time MBA program in December. While attending school, she has continued running Human Capital Consultant, a boutique consulting practice she launched in January 2009, and has remained active in extracurricular activities. 

“I absolutely thrive on moving things forward,” she says. “If I see an opportunity, I’ll jump in and see what I can do.” 

As a student, that has meant serving as a class representative, a peer-elected position. She is also an officer in the Entrepreneurship Club, and her team took fourth place in the 2009 Business Idea Competition presented by the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UT Dallas

“I try to take advantage of everything that UT Dallas has to offer,” she says. 

Rising Above the Crowd

McCall is scheduled to receive her nonrestricted scholarship from the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation during a Nov. 8 luncheon ceremony in San Antonio. The scholarships are awarded annually to students attending universities that participate in the Houstonbased nonprofit’s program. Scholarship applicants must show a propensity for entrepreneurial achievement, exhibit leadership in both academic and campus activities, and maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA. Outstanding moral character and U.S. citizenship also are requirements. 

“I come from a long line of entrepreneurs. My mom was an entrepreneur who started and ran three different businesses, and my grandparents ran a retail store. So I think a lot of it comes to me naturally,” McCall says. 

Still, she looks forward to living up to the expectations that accompany the scholarship. 

A Dallas native, McCall would not dream of doing business anywhere but Texas. She chose the School of Management based on its close association with the local business community, as well as its high rankings.

More Than Academics 

Through the FullTime MBA Program’s association with the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), Ms. McCall became a big sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. And, through the IIE, she met Chuck McCoy, director of the North Texas Angel Network, a nonprofit that seeks out quality deals for angel investors. McCoy is also involved in Ignite Dallas, a monthly gathering that invites speakers to give fiveminute presentations on their personal and professional passions. 

“He invited me to speak at Ignite Dallas, so I spoke on autocross,” McCall says. The timed, one-at-a-time motor sport emphasizes driver skill and handling over speed and horsepower. “I got involved in that when I was at Texas A&M back in 1992.” 

As a member of the Sports Car Club of America, McCall races once or twice a month, driving an E30 BMW — although she had to decline the opportunity to compete at the national level later this year because of school conflicts. She also serves as SCCA’s Chief Novice Officer, connecting new members with expert drivers in a mentorship role. 

“My husband says I can’t say ‘no,’ but I just love changes,” McCall says, “and I love challenges,” she says.