JORDAN
masters of business administration '18

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WHY WEBER STATE?

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I didn’t know I wanted to be in business and spent the first 1.5 years at Weber as a pre-dental student. It wasn’t until I decided to take an introduction to business course that completely changed my career path. I switched majors and completed my undergraduate degree in Finance from Weber State in 2015. I decided to take a year off, but the thought of a graduate degree and the quality of education I received during my undergraduate led me back to the Goddard School of Business; it was a no-brainer.

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WHY MBA?

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I chose an MBA because I wanted to stand out from the competition and learn how to take my business acumen and provide a stepping stone to the next level.

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INCREDIBLE ACCESS

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As I completed my degree at Weber, I was blown away with the quality of professors who not only have real experience in the workforce but treat students with respect and took an interest in ensuring I was successful in my journey. I had always heard that the Goddard School of Business had one of the best MBA programs in the country. I can now say that I agree 100% with those statements. The professors willing to meet at odd hours to ensure success of their students.

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FACULTY IMPACT

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I spent a great deal of time with Professor Matthew Mouritsen on a study abroad trip to Peru and Ecuador. I got to know his backstory and I can say without a shadow of a doubt he is one of the most influential figures in my educational career. He spoke to me with kindness and showed extreme interest in what was important to my professional career and personal life.

Randy Boyle was instrumental in helping me choose a specific career path within the MBA program. I knew the MBA would be a broad approach to any business. Taking his IT/Networking classes helped me to where I am today as a Technical Project Manager where I’ve had the privilege to work on multiple projects with the Air Force and within the private industry. He is another one of those “diamond in the rough” professors who, like me, came from a Finance background and quickly understood how important technology would impact the world in the future.

Shaun Hansen added tremendous value not only to my educational career, but to how I approach every situation in my career. He was able to get me to think outside of the box with ethical dilemmas, challenging situations, and real-life problems we would face. What I loved about his style of teaching was the fact that he never really tried to persuade us on one aisle of the argument, but to see all angles in order for us to formulate our own opinions and weigh all the facts before making a decision. 

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ADVICE

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Do it, you’ll look back in 2 years or less and be thankful you did. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase “I’ll get it eventually” when talking to colleagues and friends about higher education. The fact is the industry is becoming more and more saturated with undergraduate degrees. Why not stand out from everyone else and complete an 
MBA from WSU? You’ll look back on it with a tremendous amount of relief when you’re done; I know I have. It has opened up so many opportunities that would never have been possible otherwise. If there is anyone on the fence, I would invite them to reach out to anyone who has gone through the program, including myself, to share what was learned throughout the program.

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HOW HAS THE MBA PROGRAM IMPACTED YOU?

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First and foremost, an MBA has completely opened up my earning potential to a level I never dreamed of and couldn't be more grateful for. I have confidence in my ability to lead teams, manage complex projects, and mentor others who are looking to progress in their own career.

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WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

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I currently work full time as a Technical Project Manager and Sr. Scrum Master for Avantguard, right across from the Dee-Events Center. After I graduated from Weber with my Finance degree, I worked as a Financial Analyst as a contractor for the Air Force for two years. As I made my way through the MBA program, and while taking more courses in the “IT realm,” I switched over to a Technical Project Manager role where I managed projects from all over the Air Force for about four years.

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