Posted on May 15, 2019 by Wendy Frost
Master’s students in the UTSA College of Business M.S. in Business program are not only discovering their passions, but they are graduating with jobs utilizing these newfound skills.
When Kristen Healey entered the one-year cohort program, she wasn’t sure what career path to take, but knew that she wanted to pursue a career outside her previous educational experiences in nursing and kinesiology.
After taking Professor Jerry Keating’s Quantitative Methods for Business Analysis class, Healey realized that she was good at crunching numbers. Her background in Excel and statistics allowed her to mentor other students in this challenging course. At the urging of Professor Keating, Healey began looking at careers in business analytics.
“After doing some research, I realized this was a dream job for me,” said Healey. “Professor Keating even worked with me outside of class to learn Power BI, a business analytics tool. I’m thankful that Dr. Keating saw something in me and pointed me in that direction.”
One day after graduation, Healey will begin an internship as a business analyst in the Business Operations Department at NuStar.
“I am a huge proponent of working with recent college graduates,” said Lisa Trefger, EMBA ’11, executive director of commercial optimization at NuStar Energy L.P. “My experience has been that they’re eager to begin their careers, make a positive impact and add value within an organization. As a UTSA alumnus, I value the advanced education that I received from UTSA and know that students coming from the College of Business have received a quality education.”
“Getting my business degree was the best decision I could have made,” said Healey, who looks to expand her analytical skills at NuStar. “Not only did I find a new career path, but I found something that I’m good at and passionate about. I wouldn’t have that opportunity without the M.S. Business.”
Cassie Jevic entered the program with a background in agriculture. She was active in FFA at Madison High School in San Antonio and completed an undergraduate degree in agricultural services at Tarleton State University.
She joined the M.S. Business program when she realized her passion for people, business and agriculture would not be fulfilled as a teacher.
Looking back, Jevic feels that everything happens for a reason. “When I was an undergraduate I went to a leadership conference and got a UTSA t-shirt that said class of 2019,” she said. “Now several years later, that is when I’ll graduate.”
During her first semester in the program, Jevic secured an internship with H-E-B in their global sourcing department. While at H-E-B, she discovered that her background in agriculture melded perfectly with the new business skillset that she was learning.
Jevic completed two projects during her internship. First, she worked with a sourcing manager to research carbon-neutral companies. Her second project involved analyzing the sales of seasonal dog toys to determine what was most popular and why.
“My internship lined me up for success,” said Jevic, who was offered a full-time position as a business development assistant. “I received the job offer the week before my internship ended.”
Because of her success, M.S. Business advisors shifted her schedule, so she could take courses at night. She will not graduate with her cohort this May but will complete her degree in time to graduate in December 2019.
“I loved the support of the M.S. Business program,” said Jevic. “I’ve enjoyed all of my classes, and the curriculum I’ve learned applies to my job every day. It’s unbelievable how fast everything unfolded for me. This degree prepares you for the business world.”
The M.S. Business program is a one-year full-time accelerated master’s program for non-business majors. Students take coursework in traditional subject areas such as accounting, finance, management, marketing and statistics as well as receive professional development training.
Applications are currently being accepted for the next cohort with start dates in May and August 2019. For more information about this program, attend an information session or speak with a graduate business advisor at (210) 458-4641.
— Wendy Frost
