My reason for getting an MBA may be completely different from yours, but I feel that regardless of a person’s reason for going to MBA school, the results are still very much the same: MBA students will become better leaders and team members in everything they choose to do. In my case, I chose to get an MBA from BYU because I wanted a solid back-up plan in case I need to financially support my family. I had always planned to be a stay-at-home mom, and I have been blessed to do so with my five children so far, but I also know there are no guarantees. My grandmother was widowed with five young children, and my mother was divorced with six young children. Both entered the workforce unskilled and undereducated and were paid accordingly. I learned from their experiences to have a back-up plan.
Both the degree itself and the network of contacts I developed while in school are valuable in the event I need to reenter the workforce; however, even if I don’t ever work full-time to support my family, my education from the Marriott School has proven valuable in other ways.
The first is leadership. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “[Y]our education will strengthen your service in the church”. I have found this to be true. The leadership skills I gained in working as a team during the first year of the MBA program prepared me to be a leader in church auxiliaries. I manage my organizations (Primary, Young Women, cub scouts so far) as a team and have found that this yields excellent results. I anticipate a lifetime of church service for both my husband and I, and am grateful that I developed the skills in the MBA program to prepare me for that.
Another way my MBA has helped me is in developing organizational skills. I have always been an organized person, but I gained the tools to really be effective. In addition to helping with my callings at church, this has enabled me to organize several preschool cooperatives for my children.
Earning my MBA also helped me to understand finance. I am able to do the financial analyses to help my husband and I make sound financial decisions. In addition to managing our own household finances, I also help family and friends with taxes, budgets and small business decisions.
Overall, I feel I am better able to serve in my home, church, community, and, if I choose to, my professional career because of my education.
Stephanie Probst, Class of 2000, Finance Track
Stay at Home Mother of 5
2 comments:
Getting an MBA for me was one of the best things I've ever done. It has impacted my life on so many fronts.
Thanks for this great post.
Your choice to get an MBA was a great example to your 5 younger siblings. You helped set a standard for education that we are all enjoying the blessings of.
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