I first heard about the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) as I began my search for Master of Business Administration (MBA) schools in the area. I am a University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) alumna, where I received a B.S. in Bioengineering. During my time at UMCP, I had heard great things about the Robert H. Smith School of Business and so when I started my school search, I knew it would be one of my top choices.
One of my coworkers was actually a recent graduate from the Smith part-time MBA program and I was able to get her insights on what the program was like, especially the work-life balance working full-time while studying. Having heard how much she enjoyed it and how much she grew professionally and personally from the program, I was excited to join the program myself.
With the high-caliber, global approach and flexible pace of the part-time MBA program, I knew it would be a great fit for me. It became an even easier choice when I learned they had a campus at USG and not just College Park, and learned I was living five minutes away from USG.
I chose to pursue my MBA to expand my skill set beyond my technical background and gain the necessary skills to help me advance in my career. After finishing my Bioengineering degree, I worked at the Food and Drug Administration, where I conducted research on medical devices. Although I enjoyed some aspects of research, I realized laboratory work was not the right career path for me.
While I still aspired to work in the healthcare industry innovating medical care, I changed my focus from research to the business side of the industry. This, along with the dynamic, fast-paced atmosphere of sales, led me to my current position as a Vaccine Specialist for Sanofi Pasteur. I aspire to lead and manage our vaccine markets in countries like Brazil, where I could use my multi-cultural background and language skills in servicing our Latin American customers. With the skills, experiences, and knowledge that I have gained through this program, I know I am going to be successful in my future career.