Alumni Stories

“我总是有兴趣督促自己保持活跃，成为一个终身学习者."

我在Kaiser Permanente做了37年的妇产科医生后退休了. In 2007, 我获得了Kaiser Permanente国家多样性RJ埃里克森奖，因为我的工作是使用分析来提高医生服务分数. 同年，我还获得了Diversity, Inc杂志颁发的十大创新奖. 

• Why did you choose Saint Mary's College?

  I chose Saint Mary’s College based on several factors. My daughter had graduated from Saint Mary's and had a great experience. EMBA课程的评价很高，而且比其他学校便宜. The school was close to where I live. 该项目有灵活的时间安排，是一个校园和在线的混合项目. Finally, the culture of the school was of high ethical standards.
   

• 你在emba课程中学到的最有价值的东西是什么?

  That I wasn’t “too” old to go back to school and learn new skills. There was a fear that I wouldn’t do well. 我的老师和同学都很有帮助，所以我成功了.
   

• What did you learn about yourself?

  I realized I still had the ability to learn new skills. 不仅如此，我意识到我有足够的耐心和耐力来完成整个项目. 我学到的另一件事是，我总是有兴趣推动自己保持活跃，成为一个终身学习者.
   

• How did the program benefit your personal and professional growth?

  At my stage in life being retired, that remains to be seen. 这里存在年龄歧视，我希望获得MBA学位将表明我仍有贡献. 事物并不总是在当前时刻显示其自身的价值. 多年后，当我进入领导岗位时，我的公共卫生硕士课程才变得有价值. As Steve Jobs said, it may be years before the dots line up. Patience is a wonderful virtue.
   

• Discuss your classroom and online experience

  I tried both the pure on campus and the hybrid program. Between the two, I much preferred the hybrid. While I enjoyed being on campus, 圣拉蒙遗址更现代，更舒适. It was also close to home. 混合部分通常也会被记录下来，这样在课后复习材料就容易多了. Having class every other Saturday also gave me some free weekends.
   

• What capstone project or travel trip did you go on?

  Our capstone project was with the nonprofit organization, Oasis. 我们中的一些人去了他们的年度节日，以帮助和了解更多关于他们的组织. It was a fun day time trip. I also took the trip to Japan which was an amazing adventure. 我真的很喜欢这门课，我会把它推荐给任何有时间和负担得起这门选修课的学生.
   

• What advice would you give someone considering pursuing their MBA?

  Have a clear idea of what your goals are. 了解学校提供的不同课程，以便找到最适合你的课程. 如果你想学习分析学，可以考虑参加一些在线课程，这样你就可以在开始上课之前有一个基本的了解. It really makes a difference. 查看不同的银行为你的学生贷款融资，因为利率差异很大. 你得到了配偶和工作单位的支持，还是会变得更加艰难. Make friends with your classmates. 他们来自不同的背景，你们可以互相帮助. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Try to buy your books used. Apply for a scholarship grant. There are several that are available. Participate in class. It makes a big difference. Have fun. I miss it now that the program is over.

My Life, My Family, My Future

Robert, a US Air Force Veteran, 解释了他是如何利用他的军事训练在EMBA项目中取得成功的——但他意识到他的家庭是让他继续前进的动力. 

"The hybrid format of EMBA means I get to be home for dinner."

我叫罗伯特·克莱默，是美国空军的一名退伍军人. 我今年29岁，目前在加州利弗莫尔的蒙特梭利山谷学校担任系统管理员. I am currently attending Saint Mary’s College of California in the Executive MBA program with a dual focus in Global Business and Business Analytics.

• How do you balance school and work?

如果没有家人的支持，我不可能平衡好日程安排, especially my wife, Katelynn. We have to create schedules for everything and balance work, family time, study time for me and study time for my wife, as she is in school full-time as well. It is a task that takes tremendous effort and self-discipline, that said, if you put in the effort, 你的教授和整个商业部门都会在你需要的时候提供帮助.

• 到目前为止，你在emba课程中学到的最有价值的东西是什么?

首先，坚持不懈，克服工作压力、经济压力、家庭压力. Second, you’re only as good as your network. Keep open lines of communication with peers and colleagues. Third, if someone else can do it, you can do it. Amid the stress of real life, family schedules, financial responsibilities, and my job, I am encouraged to think big. 如果其他人，比如首席执行官或首席财务官能够完成这个项目，那么我也可以.

• What are you learning about yourself?

我真的很喜欢这种类型的课堂作业，我认为它真的帮助我完善了我的职业道路.

• 圣玛丽行政工商管理硕士课程如何帮助你的个人和职业发展?

我觉得自己的智力在增长，商业技能也在提高. 这段学习经历向我展示了一些关键的该做和不该做的事情，并传授了我们许多教授几十年来的实践智慧，我可以立即利用这些智慧. 

• 你在军队中学到的东西是如何为EMBA项目的严格要求做准备的?

In the United States Air Force there is a lot of expectation. 它们要求你有韧性，把每一个场合都看作是提升自己的机会. Regardless of the stress or time constants. The goal is the job and the job must get done. 我的军旅经历使我相信自己和自己的能力. It forced me to stand even under the most tremendous pressure. To push myself beyond my perceived limits, 因为只要我全身心投入，我有能力完成任何我认为属于自己的事情. 重要的是要明白，除非你走出自己的道路，并适应不舒服的环境，否则你将不会取得任何伟大的成就.   

• 讨论你的课堂和在线体验(混合课程的好处)?)

The hybrid aspect of this course is 90% of the reason I enrolled. 它给了我足够的灵活性，让我可以全职工作和攻读学位，同时有时间和家人在一起. 每隔一个周六和我的同伴们聚在一起真的有助于保持这种包容性和同志情谊. 

• What capstone project or travel trip did you go on?

我去日本旅行，那是我一生中最伟大的经历之一. The business, culture, food, scenery, and temples were amazing.  The cities and people were fascinating. 我计划参加下一次旅行，以获得对全球商业和商业分析的关注.

• What advice would you give someone considering pursuing their MBA?

如果我能给什么建议的话，那就是，适应不舒服. If you can overcome that discomfort, you will gain amazing opportunity, growth, networking and monetary dividends in return for your perseverance. 如果你认为你没有时间，或者你有一个家庭，无法想象兼顾这一切. You can. This is an investment in your future. 

Retirement Reimagined

50岁之后，大卫对重返校园感到担忧，但他得到了家人的大力支持, faculty, and classmates he realized his fears were unwarranted.