Tim, MBA '22
“I went into getting an MBA looking to set myself apart. I was surprised by how much it taught me and put me ahead. Success has naturally happened because of what I've learned.”
Why Weber State?
Education and learning have always been important to me, my family and my career. After finishing my undergraduate degree in business, my career was off to a great start and I began preparing for a master's degree. The great recession happened, my family and job responsibilities grew and it seemed like I had little time for anything else. My dreams of getting an MBA slowly faded away.
Fast forward ten years, I'm married, have three amazing kids and am on a great career path. I was taking every opportunity I had to learn and grow, but I still felt like there was more I could do to distinguish myself in my career. An MBA was still more of a pipe dream because of what I thought would be barriers (age, time, cost, etc.). With the encouragement and support from my wife and family, I decided now was the time and began researching MBA schools that would fit our lifestyle.
I looked at many graduate schools but was especially interested in local schools because of where I worked and lived. University of Utah (my alma mater), BYU, UVU, USU and Weber State were on the top of my list. Flexible classes and schedule, ability to self-pace, quality professors and overall return on investment were my biggest deciding factors.
After applying and getting acceptance letters from these schools, I chose Weber because it checked all the right boxes. But what really made the difference was the recruitment adviser, Andrew Wright. He was by far the most engaged and interested in me as a person than any other school was. Through my experiences with him, I knew that Weber State's culture and MBA program were the right fit for me.
Why the MBA?
I am fascinated with business strategy and love interacting with people. An MBA helped me to develop a more well-rounded business acumen and knowledge base. It also gave me a better understanding of how my company operated and helped give me insights into discovering new ways to improve our competitiveness in the market.
Incredible Access
Goddard's MBA program flexibility and pacing were a great fit for me. I was especially grateful for that when the pandemic hit and I needed to focus more time on work in those turbulent times. I was able to take a brief pause in classes, stabilize things at work and pick things right back up.
Faculty Impact
Dr. Jennifer Anderson taught me, "Wherever you are: Lean Hard." When you're at school, learn hard into school; when you're at home, learn hard into home; when you are at work, learn hard into work.
Dr. Michael Stevens taught me that, to grow in your career successfully, you must build trust and help others grow. When the tide rises in the harbor, all ships rise.
Andrew Wright was an excellent recruiter. He showed me the strength of Weber's student culture and convinced me of the value I would get from Weber State's MBA program.
Advice
There are fewer better ways to become a true jack of all trades and distinguish yourself in your career than with a business degree (baccalaureate or master's). I went into getting an MBA looking to set myself apart. I was surprised by how much it taught me and put me ahead. Success has naturally happened because of what I've learned.
Where are you now?
I'm currently a Senior Director of Financial Operations at CHG Healthcare, a medical staffing company based in Utah. I was promoted to this position while in school, but I attribute my success partly to what I learned while in graduate school. Getting an MBA has changed my perspective significantly and continues to help me in my career. It has helped me become a more well rounded individual and a better business leader.