Category Archives: General

Blog Posts from the Smeal Professional Graduate Programs

Veterans MBA Conference 2021

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Smeal MBA students at the Veterans MBA Career Fair and Expo

Left to right: Nathan Lewis ’23, Patrick Higgins ’22, Matthew Robles ’22, Gabe Eshleman ’23, Miles O’Keefe ’23, Andy McKenna’22 on October 1, 2021

By Andy McKenna, MBA Class of 2022

Transitioning from any job or industry is difficult and challenging. Transitioning from the military into the business world however involves unique challenges. The professional recruitment cycle is unfamiliar and can be overwhelming. It is difficult to communicate and explain to recruiters how military work experience relates to the business world. Fortunately, the veterans’ Continue reading →

Steve Cummings on the EMBA & Military background

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by Steve Cummings, Captain, U.S. Army, Executive MBA Class of 2021

Steve is an active duty infantry officer transitioning from the military after 10 plus years of service. He is a 2010 graduate of the United States Military Academy (West Point) and has deployed twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. As a current student, Steve has accepted a position with Johnson and Johnson in their Military Veterans Leadership Development Program (MVLDP) with a July start date. Continue reading →

Laura Elliott: MOL Ambassador Q&A

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Laura Elliott, MOL Class of 2020

Undergraduate Degree:  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University

Job Accepted:  I’ll be starting at Chatham Financial this July as an Analyst in Capital Markets and Corporate Finance.

Favorite Creamery Ice Cream Flavor: Death by Chocolate (and Scholar’s Chip)

Q: How do you think your STEM background brought a different perspective to the program than others? Continue reading →

Kayleigh Semion: Student Athlete Q&A

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Kayleigh Semion, MOL Class of 2020 and Penn State Women’s Basketball #12

Undergraduate Degree: Kinesiology at Penn State

Favorite Creamery Ice Cream flavor: Alumni Swirl

Job Accepted: Still hunting in the sport industry

Q: What brought you to the MOL Program/encouraged you to stay for your fifth year? How did a Kinesiology degree prepare you for it/what are you looking for from it? Continue reading →

Job Hunting: An MOL perspective

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by Tommy Slotcavage, MOL Class of 2020

Job hunting is daunting – there’s no other way to put it.  That process is made even more intimidating when you’ve never had an internship nor even been to a career fair.  Thankfully, I had some vague work experience, but it didn’t necessarily pertain to what I wanted to do – a career on the business side of healthcare.

With that, I came into the year with a confident exterior, but an anxious interior.  I knew the first weeks of the semester were going to be tough – adjusting to classes, innumerable career fairs, and trying to make friends, and to be honest, they were. Continue reading →

The 7th Annual Deloitte Supply Chain Challenge Case Competition Final Round 2019

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By Dan Nichol, MBA Class of 2021

Four of us had the honor of representing Penn State Smeal in Final Round of the 7th Annual Deloitte Supply Chain Challenge at Ohio State University. Our team consisted of Sanath Adiga, Andrew Marshall, Dan Nichol and Declan Smith, all First-Year Smeal MBAs were given the opportunity to represent the Smeal at Columbus Ohio. After a 7-hour car ride from State College to Columbus filled with good Continue reading →

Meet 220: Sarah Woodward

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“Meet 220” is a series of posts featuring staff of the Smeal Professional Graduate Programs. “220” refers to the suite of offices within the Business Building where the team is housed.

Sarah Woodward, MBA and MOL Education Program Assistant, Professional Graduate Programs

What’s your role with the Smeal PGP office?

I am the Education Program Assistant for the Residential Masters Programs in Business Administration (MBA) and Residential Management and Organizational Leadership (MOL). My responsibilities include managing student records from year of entry through graduation and assisting with the coordination of course offerings. My position also gives me Continue reading →

10th Annual MSU Bowersox Graduate Supply Chain Challenge

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From Left to Right: Alex, Thompson, Uzo, Declan

By Uzo Ukaegbu, MBA Class of 2021

We had the opportunity to compete in the Donald J. Bowersox Graduate Supply Chain Challenge a two-day event involving a three-hour supply chain simulation. The experience allowed us to exercise our supply chain knowledge and Continue reading →

Veterans MBA Conference 2019

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By Bobby Ettorre, MBA Class of 2020

One of the greatest challenges facing Veterans who transition from the military service into the private sector is a lack of business acumen. Speaking from personal experience, when I left the service, I didn’t know how to communicate my work experience to recruiters and was unfamiliar with the professional recruitment cycle. I remember being completely lost at my first career fair; figuring it out as I went along. Continue reading →

OMBA Alum shared the experience with his Father

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By Matthew Zackschewski, Online MBA Class of 2019

Matthew joined the Penn State Online MBA program in Fall 2017 as part of the first residency class since the program’s redesign. He earned a concentration in Project Management. While Matthew went back to school to earn his MBA, so did his father, George Zackschewski, with the American Military University and earned his concentration in Information Technology. Below, they have reflected on their father-son experience! 

Continue reading →