Students pursue MBA degrees to build financial and marketing acumen, gain skills in strategic thinking and problem solving and to advance into lucrative management and leadership positions.
McKenzie Thibeault appreciates how the practical and pragmatic skills she is gaining in Johnson & Wales University Online’s MBA – Event Leadership program are helping her be more effective in her job. However, Thibeault chose the Event Leadership concentration with a personal goal to ignite her imagination and infuse her passion for sports and event planning into her work. Thibeault shares her dream of a creative event leadership career.
A Desire For More Fulfilling Work
In her former position at a recruiting agency, Thibeault felt unfulfilled in her work. She had earned her undergraduate degree but wasn’t using the marketing skills she had acquired.
“I had a really rough four years earning my undergraduate degree,” Thibeault explains. “Starting as an on-campus student, I moved to online during COVID-19. I didn’t enjoy school — I just wanted to get through the program. By the time I graduated, I was sure I would never want to go to back to school.”
Thibeault accepted a talent acquisitions position with Blount Fine Foods, a manufacturing company. “Blount is amazing,” says Thibeault. “I’ve grown a lot in the year-and-a-half I’ve been with the company.”
Still, Thibeault yearned to be more creative in her work. “Living in East Providence, Rhode Island, I knew Johnson & Wales University’s positive reputation. I figured if I were going to do anything creative locally, it would be with JWU. I live on my own, so it made sense to enroll in an asynchronous online program that would give me the flexibility to continue working full time.
“I applied to JWU Online on a whim one day. Intrigued by the event world, I enrolled in the MBA – Event Leadership program. I’m fortunate that Blount Fine Foods is a Corporate Education Partner with JWU, so I receive a discount on tuition as an employee benefit.”
A Love Of Events
“Growing up in a large family, my mom was constantly planning birthday celebrations, surprise parties and family get-togethers,” Thibeault reflects. “I wanted to be part of these events, so I inserted myself into the planning process. When you work behind the scenes and then experience how everyone attending the event has fun, it’s a great feeling.”
As Thibeault grew up, she developed an interest in the sports sector. “I played softball for a few years in elementary school, ran track for a year in middle school and played soccer for a year in middle school. For a couple of years during middle school, I served as the scorekeeper for softball games. Mostly I was dedicated to dance for sixteen years — from the time I was two until I was eighteen. My dad loves New England sports, so growing up I was ‘compelled’ to love New England sports, too.”
Admitting that she prefers watching sports events to participating in them, Thibeault says, “Fenway Park is one of my favorite places in the world. I have wonderful memories of going to Fenway for different events — each visit has been a unique experience. I love seeing how the fans enjoy watching their teams play. Planning sports events could be a goal in the future.”
Transitioning To Online Learning
Thibeault says that the transition to fully online classes has been a good fit. “I’m not a great test taker, so I don’t do my best when taking a timed test in a classroom. I have more of an interest in what I’m doing compared with the undergraduate classes I had taken. Because I enjoy working from home, I excel at putting together projects and presentations for online assignments.
“All of the professors I’ve had at JWU Online have been dedicated to helping students. The professors teaching the MBA classes encourage us to collaborate with classmates, which enriches the online learning experience.”
Building Practical Business Skills Through Core Classes
“Growing up in an openly communicative household, with parents who work in formal business settings, I came to the program with a solid understanding about how to communicate in a corporate setting. Even so, the Communications course I took helped me communicate at a deeper level with my peers who come from diverse backgrounds.
“The Operations Management course covered Six Sigma, which we utilize every single day at my worksite. By understanding the day-to-day operations on our production floor, I have been able to communicate more effectively with fellow employees who work in engineering and manufacturing. Assignments in another course covered continuous improvement, which is a priority at Blount to monitor efficiency, product quality and reduction of waste.
“My first class in the event leadership concentration gave me a good working knowledge of what goes into planning an event at every scale, from small to large. The Risk Management course has been incredibly helpful in how it has preparing me to manage larger venues.”
Sparking Creativity Through Event Leadership Courses
Thibeault believes that the MBA program is unique in how it inspires her creativity. She enjoys the creative freedom that professors grant students to choose and develop their assignments.
“The more deeply I delve into the heart of my MBA program at JWU Online, the more I enjoy the coursework. Pursuing a topic that I am passionate about inspires me to put more effort into the assignment. My interest and enthusiasm about what I’m learning confirms that event leadership is something I will enjoy pursuing as a profession.
“Being given permission to engage my imagination in developing my own scenarios for assignments has felt liberating. I’ve proposed topics that align with my personal interests. For example, I have a lot of young kids in my life who are important to me, so developing a project that promotes youth literacy has been intensely interesting to me.
“This past semester I planned a sports day titled ‘Play by the Bay’ in which families could participate with their kids in different games and sporting events. Intended as a fundraiser for local public schools to support their sports programs, the event could be implemented at any grade level.
“Although I’ve created a hypothetical scenario, East Providence High School has a Hall of Fame, for which they hold awards ceremonies. As an alum of the school, I may be able to collaborate with other alumni who were in the sports field to offer an event on a small scale.”
Online Collaboration Elevates A Group Project
“Last semester, I had a group project that spanned the whole course.” Thibeault says. “Working in teams, we were given a scenario, from which we had to create our own event. My team was assigned to a nonprofit organization whose mission it is to foster literacy in the lives of youth.
“We were asked to put together a gala to raise funds at a library in Chicago. We planned the logistics by scheduling tasks and activities over a six-month period — everything from designing the invitations to executing the event.
“We had full creative license within specified guidelines. I felt fortunate to have a team in which all the members participated equally. I was able to draw on my marketing background and to create a vision board. Other students pitched in by contributing skills from their backgrounds. Working with people who had significantly different viewpoints about the event made our collaboration an amazing experience.
“This was the first class in which all of the students in my team lived locally. We could have met up in person to collaborate, but we never felt the need. By maintaining a text thread throughout the semester, we were able to effectively communicate with one another.”
The Value Of The MBA Degree
Thibeault asserts that the biggest benefit of the online program is she can still work full-time and complete her degree in two years, without having to extend into another semester.
“As a talent acquisition specialist who reads résumés every day, I recognize that an MBA degree is an amazing opportunity to build knowledge and experience that will advance your candidacy for leadership positions. Pursuing a general MBA, or one with a special concentration, will help propel you along your chosen career path.
“I still don’t know precisely what my dreams will look like going forward. The program has helped me understand the business and industry in which I currently work and to explore directions I may pursue in the future.
“As I complete my MBA degree, I’ll look for opportunities to promote events for Blount Fine Foods. Family-owned, the company is passionate about giving back to the community and to the company’s employees. Every year we throw a company cookout, and the company also participates in charity and community events. Our dedicated onboarding team, of which I am a part, holds job, career and internship fairs.
“The MBA – Event Leadership program is worth the tuition and the time to earn the degree. The flexibility, the encouragement to think creatively and to innovate, the amazing dedication of the professors and the collegial culture of the online community, have made earning the MBA a rewarding experience for me.
“My best advice to students is that you need to be passionate about your decision to attend school if you plan to work full-time. You’ll need to adjust your schedule and give up some personal time. If you can be flexible in balancing work and school with your personal life — and if you are dedicated to your studies — you can excel in your program.”
Become A Creative Business Leader
Ready to actualize your interest in an event leadership career with our fully-online MBA –Event Leadership degree at JWU Online? Complete the Request Info form, submit your free application, or email [email protected].
