Cassandra, MBA and MHA '21
“I was able to connect concepts being taught in class to my career… learn one day
and apply it at my job the next day.”
Why Weber State?
I grew up in Southern California and moved to Utah to play collegiate volleyball when I was 18. After attending several schools, I graduated from Utah Valley University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Certain I wanted to become a physician, I applied to medical school and joined a private practice in their clinical research department. After working in healthcare, I realized my passion was for leadership and running a healthcare organization. I knew an MBA degree would propel me toward a career that fit my aspirations and I found Weber State the most valuable program.
Why the MBA?
I picked the MBA program because I knew it would provide me with the tools and techniques I needed to propel my career and be an effective healthcare leader. Since my undergraduate degree was in Biology, I was completely naïve about the business landscape. The MBA was an efficient way to gain the appropriate foundational business knowledge, particularly in finance, operations, marketing, human resources and strategic management.
Incredible Access
The Goddard School provides a personalized experience for its students. The small class sizes provide the perfect opportunity for students to network with each other, learn how to work effectively as teams through group projects and have adequate access to one-on-one time with their professors.
Faculty Impact
One of the most impactful professors was Shane Schvaneveldt, who taught my first MBA class (Operations and Supply Chain Management). I remember being nervous about taking this class since it was my first business course and I had heard it was quite difficult. Shane surprised me with his ability to apply the textbook material to real-life scenarios. He was very approachable, giving me the confidence to conquer future MBA courses.
Advice
My advice to future students considering the Goddard School is to take the leap! Apply yourself fully to the program and do not just try to "skate by" to receive your diploma. You will get the most out of this experience if you use this opportunity to challenge yourself, network with your peers and learn as much as you can. After all, when else can you utilize your status as a student to ask as many business questions as possible?
Where are you now?
I was fortunate to work as the Assistant Administrator for Rocky Mountain MS Clinic, a neurology office in Salt Lake City while attending my MBA/MHA program. After I graduate, I will join the University of Utah Hospital & Clinics as their Administrative Fellow. In this role, I will participate in various projects and rotations with the hospital's COO as my preceptor. This fellowship will provide me with invaluable knowledge for becoming a dynamic hospital leader. My eventual goal is to be a hospital COO so that I may make quality- and value-focused system-wide changes that align towards a positive impact on the organization's stakeholders. Without my MBA/MHA degrees, I would not have qualified for the fellowship, so I am thankful for WSU!