Hannah, MBA '20
“Weber State was familiar, easy to enroll, welcoming and customized for working students!”
Why Weber State?
I originally started my schooling at Utah State University, as I lived in Cache Valley. While I enjoyed my time there, I felt like I was just another fish in a huge pond of students within the business school and getting face-to-face time with some of the professors was difficult. After some research, I looked into transferring to Weber State and the Goddard School as the class sizes were smaller, the employment placement rate with WSU graduates was phenomenal and career opportunities while attending for my MBA were much better due to the location. All of these factors led me to Goddard and it was the best decision for me by far.
Why the MBA?
I completed my MBA in April of 2020. One of the main reasons I opted for an MBA is the broad amount of opportunities it opens up and creates in a career path. I feel that working toward an MBA at Weber State and the Goddard School prepares someone to work in various roles and instills fundamentals in all facets of business, such as marketing, HR, finance, leadership, supply chain, economics and so on. It translates across multiple titles and career paths, regardless of what industry may interest someone. There is a great emphasis on understanding the ins and outs of successful business strategies, as well as understanding people, teams and what makes for a successful work environment. I know that all fundamentals in business are beneficial to leadership roles I would like to aspire to.
Incredible Access
Goddard School truly focuses on the learning experience for each student. The smaller classes are set up to form relationships and create success. As cliché as it sounds, the professors at Goddard School want the best for all of their students and it shows. The communication, discussions and student involvement in their curriculum leave you with lasting relationships beyond your schooling years. The MBA program, specifically, targets their education to the working professional; they understand the amount of responsibility on each student’s plate and they help to create an environment where we can still achieve our educational goals. As a student, I felt valued.
Faculty Impact
Shaun Hansen has impacted the way I approach trust and the importance it plays in personal and business settings after learning about the Stakeholder Trust Model. As future business leaders or entrepreneurs, we have social responsibilities and our bottom line. I have always cared about the state of the environment. Still, Shaun has challenged my thinking on what benefit and responsibility I have on a personal level as a leader with integrity and the stakeholders in mind.
Jennifer Anderson helped me completely restructure how I approach understanding people and teams, as well as how I set personal goals and expectations. In Organizational Behavior, you will learn so many valuable things, but one of those lessons revolves around understanding how individuals and teams form an organization. To understand how to be impactful leaders and team members, we first need to understand people. She created an open discussion environment that encouraged all thought processes and opened my eyes to understanding the “why” behind people and their behavior. She has also helped me to truly discover another one of my passions, education, opening up the idea of potential career changes.
Matthew Mouritsen provided such an engaging learning experience. There were so many valuable lessons learned in his course. However, one will remain with me for the entirety of my career more so than other lessons. He taught us the value of transparency, honesty and balancing work and home life. Organizations are made up of employees and understanding that we have needs above and beyond our daily work life is vital. Happy employees impact so many facets of a company and their bottom-line. Never forget that a successful organization keeps that in mind.
Advice
My advice to anyone contemplating pursuing an MBA is to GO FOR IT! A phone call to the MBA program contacts can make a world of difference. I cannot stress the difference it has made in my life. An MBA can open up so many doors of opportunity no matter the career path you hope to follow and creates a wonderful environment to network with individuals who you will likely show up again throughout your career. It is most definitely worth it.
How has the MBA program impacted you?
The MBA program with Goddard has drastically impacted where I am today. I have grown in my career path due to being more marketable and I look to broaden my career into other roles in the future. I approach communication with teammates differently, including those hard-to-have conversations. I’m better prepared to solve or positively impact work bottlenecks and constraints strategically. I feel equipped to help make decisions that truly impact the bottom-line positively while keeping the Stakeholder Trust Model in mind. I have networked with fantastic individuals I still consider friends today, many of whom I have crossed paths with professionally. I have not met anyone who regrets choosing the MBA program with Goddard; it has been an extremely positive experience for me and my future path. I encourage anyone on the fence about an MBA with Goddard to contact the MBA program points of contact. You will not be disappointed!
Where are you now?
During my schooling, I worked part-time for an accounting firm to gain more finance and accounting experience. After finishing my Finance undergrad at Weber State and the Goddard School, I worked as a financial analyst at Hill Air Force Base (AFB). Currently, I work as the Lead Financial Manager for the Software Engineering Group at Hill AFB, which I wouldn’t have been able to obtain without completing my MBA. Leadership positions become increasingly competitive and an MBA with Goddard helps provide opportunities for growth and career-broadening.