In recognition of their leadership and accomplishments, two online MBA graduates have been spotlighted by Poets & Quants, one of the top business education media outlets in the country.
Matthew Mullins, a native Floridian, decided to pursue his MBA to supplement his master’s in engineering management from Penn State World Campus with more traditional business courses, like accounting and economics.
After such a positive experience throughout his master’s degree and considering the success of the Penn State Online MBA, which is led by the Penn State Smeal College of Business and delivered through Penn State World Campus, Mullins said applying was a no-brainer.
He said his favorite part about Smeal is its strong sense of community and belonging, adding that a highlight of his experience was the residency week at the University Park campus, where the students “formed a strong bond and stay in touch weekly.”
Mullins added that one of his biggest takeaways was learning the importance of pursuing an MBA degree. He acknowledged that in the business world, the approach of jumping straight into a career and “learning by failing” is often applauded — but emphasized that earning an MBA allows you to learn those same lessons prior to entering the workforce so you’ll be more prepared to face obstacles.
“We learn from failure, but we don’t have to experience the failures firsthand; we can learn from other people’s failures,” Mullins said. “An MBA education collects the failures made by other people and presents the lesson learned in an orderly, concise package.”
Poets & Quants named Yuri Cuervo, of Green Brook, New Jersey, as one of its “Best & Brightest” MBA students.
Cuervo’s online MBA experiences have helped her grow as a passionate, purpose-driven leader working in the health care industry. She works as a manager for Johnson & Johnson, a position she said was "one of my dream roles before the age of 30."
Cuervo said she choose the online MBA because of Penn State's "great reputation with an excellent business program."
Stacey Dorang Peeler, managing director of the Penn State Online MBA, said she’s proud of the online MBA students receiving this special recognition and their commitment to their education during what many consider to be such a challenging year.
“In addition to being exceptional class contributors and high achievers in their careers, they also persevered through an unprecedented time, on top of the rigors of the already-challenging MBA experience,” Peeler said. “Online students are juggling so much already, that to stand out over and above their already very accomplished colleagues is even more of a special achievement this year.”
Learn more about the MBA that is offered online through Penn State World Campus.