As a child growing up on the prairies in Western Canada, I learned from my father the values of hard work and discipline. As a small business owner of a trucking company founded by my grandfather, my father wore many hats in order to successfully continue our family legacy. As I look back on the struggles experienced by both of these men, I reflect on the fact that their lives, and business, would of benefited immensely from business training. My initial interest in the Executive MBA program at Kent State came from the recommendation of my current manager. He touted both the high level of instruction he received during his tenure at Kent State and the intimate class discussions. Hearing this sparked an interest in furthering my own development. I believe that Kent State will provide me with a rich environment to proactively reach my career and personal development goals. My forefathers learned many business lessons the hard way and I plan to not allow history to repeat in my family. …show more content…
Being accepted into engineering school was both a thrill and a huge boost to my confidence. There were no college or university graduates in my family at that time and I would be the first. Now, 16 years later after successfully completing that engineering degree, attaining a second one in the USA, and being involved in founding a startup, I look to sharpen by business acumen at Kent State with an Executive MBA. As the valedictorian of my high school, a leader in engineering school, and a current leader with executive potential in my current role, I believe that Kent State will provide the next pieces of my development puzzle and is an important step towards the actualization of my current