As part of our Countdown to Commencement series, we spent some time with a few soon-to-be graduates from our undergraduate and MBA programs to learn about their backgrounds, why they chose Scheller College, and what they plan to do with their degrees after Spring 2018 Commencement.
Meet Samantha Flowers. Samantha is from of Clearwater, Florida, and she completed her bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business. While enrolled in the Evening MBA Program, Samantha worked for Piedmont Healthcare as a Telehealth Program Manager. Samantha enjoys hiking, going to the movies, trying new restaurants, and reading. After graduation, she will join the Alexander Group as a Consultant.
While we take standard coursework in the business core, the program offers these courses through a lens that feels fresh and modern. In almost every class the use of technology, big data, or analytics was incorporated in a way that is truly unique for business schools.
How did the Scheller College MBA experience help you advance your career?
If I did not pursue my MBA, I would still be working in health care with little opportunity for advancement. Health care is one of those industries where an advanced degree is becoming more and more important for career growth–even for internal candidates.
Why did you choose Scheller College of Business for your MBA?
I researched and visited many of the Atlanta options for Evening MBA programs, and Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business instantly stood out to me. As someone who attended a business school for undergrad, I was determined to find something new and different for my master’s experience. Scheller College offered exactly what I was looking for. While we take standard coursework in the business core, the program offers these courses through a lens that feels fresh and modern. In almost every class the use of technology, big data, or analytics was incorporated in a way that is truly unique for business schools.
As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?
Scheller College incorporates technology into almost all their classes knowing that in the real world, companies need business-minded individuals with skills to capture, pull, and analyze data to enhance strategy.
What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into the Scheller College Evening MBA program?
Be ready for a lot of work and a test of your ability to balance work, school, and a social life.
Did you take advantage of extracurricular activities while at Scheller?
I tried to take advantage of the student activities as much as possible. As an Evening student, it was difficult to do everything, but some of my favorites included the Crawfish Boil, Spring Formal, and the Sustainability Club conferences. These events helped to build a sense of school community and camaraderie, which I may not have felt as much with coursework alone.
What activities were you involved with off campus? Did your business education impact those activities in any way?
Georgia Tech and Scheller College do a great job advertising for events not run by the school that you can take advantage of either individually or with other classmates. I attended a Women in Technology (WIT) panel discussion, where I was able to meet many of the Full-time MBA students. I also met a Georgia Tech alumna who was representing her current company at the event, and she agreed to have coffee with me to talk about future job opportunities.
One of the most fun events outside of school was the Emory Healthcare Consulting Case Competition. I participated in this all-day event with four other Scheller College students, none of whom I knew previously. We came in fourth place, but we had a memorable and educational day that could also be added to our resume.
Did you finish concentrations or immersive tracks?
I completed a concentration in Strategy and Innovation. Choosing a concentration helped me focus my class selection. Even though I had plenty of opportunity to take other non-strategy courses, the concentration provided an in-depth knowledge of a subject area that I can readily apply to my career. I feel confident listing this concentration on my resume because I have a solid new set of skills to back it up.
Did you participate in a practicum course?
Yes, I completed a Pro Bono Consulting Practicum. I landed a health care-oriented project, which was very exciting to me. I was able to apply my knowledge of the industry, but also solve new problems that were not part of my day-to-day work. In the end, my team made an impact to the client, and our team gained significant knowledge and contacts that we would otherwise not have had.
My project was with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s (CHOA) Feeding Program. They are looking to expand their program and wanted to identify the most attractive areas in Georgia for expansion. My team created an analysis tool to identify an array of categories and rank zip codes from most to least attractive based on those attributes. Our tool is something they can continually use and customize long after we closed out the project.
Did you participate in the international practicum during your time at Scheller? What were some of your key takeaways from the experience?
I took part in the Spring 2017 International Practicum to Indonesia. My team worked for an Indonesian-based furniture company, Affinity International Furniture (AIF). AIF was exploring expansion plans in the U.S. and wanted a detailed analysis of the furniture industry along with a recommendation on where they should expand, if at all.
This was such a stellar project; it incorporated just about EVERY skill and subject matter I had taken in the MBA program, including marketing, finance, and data analysis. We also spent a significant amount of the semester learning the business practices and cultural nuances of Indonesia. And of course, the highlight of my time in the Practicum was the week experiencing the joy of Indonesia with new-found teammates and friends from both Scheller College and our partner MBA program in Indonesia.
What are the top two items on your bucket list?
- Visit at least 50 countries over the course of my lifetime (15 down so far!)
- Skydive
In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you?
I hope that my peers at Scheller will remember me as a hard-working, but enjoyable classmate and group member.