Looking around the room Mike feels a sense of assurance. He looks up to the white board that would soon be covered in information essential for his degree. He looks to the left and right at the seats that would soon be filled by his fellow cohort. He turns around to stare out at the beautiful blue sky and the fall leaves swirling around the Seidman building. He swivels back to the front, pulls out his books, notes, and pencil. He takes a deep breath and prepares himself for a program that will serve as a lead, into his future. Mike Parsell is a current FIMBA student in the 2014-2015 cohort year. Mike graduated from Aquinas College with a major in Sustainable Business and a minor in Communications. He chose FIMBA because of the cost and the fellowship. "I realized that the FIMBA program offered an MBA degree at a very reasonable cost compared to other programs across the region and country," said Mike. " The fellowship was a way for me to gain another full year of work experience with a local company while I earned my MBA." |
"I want to work in supply chain management to improve operational efficiency, sustainability, and social capital for an organization," said Mike. " This area of work interests me because I will need to draw upon my sustainability background and the analytic tools I'm currently learning from FIMBA."
Mike's favorite part of the program is working alongside his fellow cohort members. There are times that he feels overwhelmed; however, he knows it will be worth it in the long run.
"This program is helping me prepare for my future by providing me with the tools necessary to make management level decisions. I am also building my soft skills through project presentations and professional development classes," said Mike.
After his time thus far in the program, Mike would recommend that students take the time to build relationships with their fellow cohort members.
"You work way more effectively with your cohort than you do by yourself. I think the relationship with my fellow cohort will last long after the program and will be helpful in the future job search," said Mike.