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- Graduating Year: 2006
- Undergraduate: Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
- Current Employment: Sr. I Engineer managing supplier and quality receiving inspection, Alcon Labs, Irvine, CA
- Career Goals: Executive management position in a research and development department of a medical device company
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 One of the best things about the program at the Merage School is that when you are assigned to a team, it’s not just for a class – it’s for the whole program. It’s just like the real world – in the workplace, you see the same people, again and again. It gives you a chance to truly build long-term relationships with your teammates. Also, you learn how to manage your own time and each other in terms of expectations, motivation, and trust– again – this totally mirrors situations that I face as a manager in the workplace.
I had a great team. Although it didn’t start out that way. In one of our first projects together, we received one of the lowest scores. I was really frustrated during our first quarter that we weren’t effective. After a few quarters, we worked through it together and became known by other students in our class and faculty as one of the premier teams. Part of our success came from taking the time to build solid personal relationships with each other and learning how to leverage all of our strengths.
 I was really excited because about halfway through the program, I was given the opportunity to manage a small department. It was the first chance I had to put what I had learned at the Merage School to the test. Although I wasn’t finished with the program, my company knew that I was working on my MBA and were very supportive and continued to encourage me to pursue my management goals.
Upon graduation, I got another promotion and moved to a new department. The program definitely gave me visibility within my organization. What’s more, my course work gave me a solid foundation and the confidence to move into management.
 The faculty and staff at the Merage School are truly outstanding. I was really spoiled. The staff does everything for you – from buying your books and even registering you for your classes. So all I had to focus on was getting to class and working on projects. And the faculty was extremely knowledgeable in their areas of expertise. I found there was also a good balance between research professors and professors with real-world experience. And the faculty who were industry professionals were a terrific resource for expanding my networking opportunities.
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