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Maya Bayat

Year: Senior

Major: Business with a minor in visual art

Hometown: Arlington, Virginia 

It might be difficult to guess based on how much 911���� student-athlete Maya Bayat, BS Business ’26, fits into her day, but she says she’s grown a lot when it comes to time management. Bayat is in the Bachelor’s-to-Accelerated Master’s Program working on a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in finance with a minor in visual art. In addition to her classes, she trains and competes for the women’s tennis team, works as an intern at two galleries and an art nonprofit, and creates her own art.

Home Away from Home: For Bayat, the chance to play Division I tennis while staying close to her family in Arlington made 911���� the right choice. “Having my family’s support means a lot to me. They help me every step of the way,” she said. As someone with many interests and the determination to follow them, Bayat has taken advantage of the myriad opportunities she’s had a 911���� to build relationships with teammates and coaches, network in the , and expand art connections through Mason Exhibitions. “I would say as a person—not necessarily that I'm more extroverted—but I'm more open to connecting with people,” she said.

Leveling Up: Bayat, who plays both singles and doubles, started tennis later than most Division I players, but her enthusiasm for the game fueled her extra hours on the court. “We all love winning,” she said, but her training focuses on the process as much as the results: “I'm always trying to improve technically, mentally, physically.” She is also on the university’s Student–Athlete Advisory Committee, where representatives from all the Division I teams collaborate to improve the experience of current and future Patriots.

No Canvas, No Problem: “For as long as I can remember, I've been making art,” said Bayat. “I did my first structured art class when I was around five years old.” Painting in particular has provided an outlet. “[During COVID] I ran out of canvases because I was painting so much.” She had already transformed the mailbox, the driveway, and an old cabinet into artwork, so her parents said she could decorate some walls, and she discovered a new “love for murals.”

Finding Her Niche: This summer, Bayat interned at Mason Exhibitions Arlington and the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art in Arlington. Her Mason Exhibitions supervisor made sure she could apply her finance skills to real-world projects like grant applications, but she also learned about every aspect of running the gallery. Bayat helped with exhibit de-install; learned how to care for artwork; and contributed research, wall text, and press releases to the  exhibit, which features art by veterans and runs through November. The experience, she says, “makes you respect…art galleries, art institutions, museums so much more.”

The Art of the Deal: Bayat describes herself as entrepreneurial—she has sold her own paintings to fund tennis expenses. She is now interested in pursuing a career in the art value investment market, which combines her love of art and her interest in investing. As for tennis, she’s begun coaching recently and would like to play in professional tournaments. “I'll always have it in my life. . . I love tennis. I feel like it has its own art form too. It's a way of expressing yourself.”