"I think you have to be passionate and enjoy what you do. The Terry program was the best fit for my personal needs and career goals."
"The family-type atmosphere at the Terry College was different and a real plus for me," Redick Brown says as he describes why he selected the Terry MBA program. "I am married, and I needed a program that was flexible and understood that I had a family and additional responsibilities in my life. Terry is a very family-friendly environment."
With the help of Terry's leadership program, Redick was able to learn more about himself and his leadership style.
"I was challenged by each professor," Brown adds. "I received the backbone of an education that I will be able to use throughout my life and my career. Terry really prepares managers for all aspects of business."
"I learned that I did not need to change who I am to cater to a company's culture. I learned the questions to ask to make sure that I chose the right company for my personality and life goals. I have a work hard/play hard mentality, and I need to work for a company that understands those values."
"My passion was always to get a job in the automotive industry, because I love cars. Terry helped me make my MBA experience a real life success story."
With his MBA degree from Terry in hand, Redick chose to work for DaimlerChrysler. He is now the District Services Manager for the Jacksonville, Florida region.
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"Terry's connection to the Atlanta market was a big reason why I chose Terry."
After earning his bachelor's in accounting and a master's degree in tax accounting from UGA, Matt Clark spent the next ten years working for global companies in internal auditing and financial planning and analysis both in the U.S. and abroad.
"I was ready for a change of lifestyle," says Clark. "I grew up in Georgia. I like living in the South, and I wanted to work in Atlanta. When I decided to get my MBA, I was focused more on what I was going to do when I got out of school, and I was looking to round out my work experience.
"You want to go to a school where you can get a job afterwards. Terry's connection to the Atlanta market was a big reason why I chose Terry," says Clark.
While Matt focused full-time on school, the Terry network went to work. The Career Management Center connected him with a Terry alum who worked at GE. "We traded some e-mails," says Clark. "He liked my experience and my resume and helped me get my foot in the door."
Today Matt is Financial Planning and Analysis Leader for GE Energy Services in Atlanta.
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"When I heard that I could go to Cuba for class credit, I asked myself, would I ever have the opportunity to do this again in my life? The answer was no!"
Michael Garvey had visited several foreign countries and had even lived in Australia after graduating from the University of Massachusetts. He spent five years working in mortgage banking before deciding to go back to school for his MBA.
"In my research," he says, "Terry College stood out. Not only for its stellar reputation and high ranking, it was also a great value and a great fit for me. And when the chance to travel to Cuba with my classmates while I studied for my MBA presented itself, I applied to UGA. I knew I would have always regretted it if I had not gone on the Cuba trip over Spring Break in 2007."
"There was a lecture series at the University of Havana that allowed us to meet with professors and economists. We learned about importing and exporting with the U.S., among other things. But although we were meeting with the intellectual elite of Cuba, they don't even have the money to buy the solvent to clean their white boards. People living there make an average of $396 per person, per year."
"The most interesting thing to me was how content the people in Cuba are. They know they have nothing, but they are still happy. They were so helpful and loved talking to us. They have a great attitude about life and are very accommodating people," Garvey observed.
Michael explains that he came back to Athens refreshed from the trip. "I appreciate that I can go down the street and grab a burger, when the people in Cuba just do not have that option. International travel just opens up your mind so much. It made me appreciate the opportunities that we have here at home.
"I give Terry 110% credit for putting together a flawless trip. They lined up Cuban guides who showed us a country that's not on the tourists' itinerary."
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"The camaraderie of my professors and classmates was a pleasant surprise, and the international travel was a huge unexpected bonus for me."
"I came to Terry because I wanted an accelerated MBA program and because of the leadership training that is such a big part of the curriculum here," says Deirdra Glover. "But the camaraderie of my professors and classmates was a pleasant surprise, and the international travel was a huge unexpected bonus for me."
Deirdra made good use of her UGA MBA travel opportunity with an eight-day visit to Shanghai and Beijing. She and her fellow Terry MBA classmates prepared for their trip by studying business practices in China, and by researching and writing papers about particular subjects of interest. Deirdra's paper dealt with copyright infringement issues in China.
Deirdra returned a bit jet-lagged, but enthusiastic about her experience in China. "The highlight of the trip for me was the fact that we were able to meet with professionals from so many different international and domestic businesses in China. Even though they were executive level people, they were tactically engaged and openly discussed details on everything from intellectual property issues to supply chain, infrastructure and logistics concerns." explained Glover.
Seeing the sheer number of people in the two cities they visited was quite an eye-opener for Deirdra. "You hear that there are well over a billion people in China, but that number starts to become reality when you see the mass of people out on the streets during rush hour. It's incredible!"
"As we learned on the trip, companies cannot afford not to be doing business in China right now," says Glover. "I'm grateful to Terry for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing experience."
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"My job is a direct result of the academic and leadership training I received at Terry."
"I never expected to actually use this technique we were taught in the Terry MBA program. We had an entire class on elevator pitches to use when networking towards a job interview. Who knew that I would have the opportunity to make it work?" explained Greer.
After graduating from West Point and serving in the military for five years, Alicia Greer didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. She decided that an MBA would be a good way to help her focus her career. Alicia chose the full-time program at the Terry College.
Initially, Alicia said that she did not appreciate the importance of the leadership coaches who are part of the Terry MBA program.
"Through the coaching, you focus on learning about yourself. I knew that I had an issue with stepping forward in situations. I did not speak up when opportunities were presented, but I began to understand how detrimental this could be when competing for a job or an internship," said Greer. "I conquered that hurdle, and it certainly paid off. My job is a direct result of the academic and leadership training I received at Terry."
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"The structure of the program with a lot of teamwork, along with the coaching experience and the caliber of the faculty really drew me in."
After completing his undergraduate degree from Georgia Southern and working in the business world for eight years, Mike Hair decided he wanted to strengthen his business acumen. He had no exposure to finance and accounting while he was working and decided he needed to increase those skill sets by going back to get his MBA.
"The reputation of Terry both in Georgia and in the southeast stood out for me," says Hair. "The structure of the program with a lot of teamwork, along with the coaching experience and the caliber of the faculty really drew me in."
Mike explains that the Terry team approach helped build his confidence. "I had such a nurturing environment both in the classroom, with my classmates and with my professors, that I now feel I can do anything. My team motivated me to attend the international trips that I would never have had the self-assurance to do — I had never been out of the country before. Now, thanks to my Terry experience, I have visited five foreign countries, including Cuba and China. I even attended the internship program in Germany and conducted a project with a small startup company there."
"When I entered business school, I had never planned on the international aspect of the Terry curriculum. It was really an unexpected bonus for me."
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"Terry gave me the opportunity to create a business plan for a startup company in Atlanta. They were so pleased with my work, they made me their product director."
After completing a double major in economics and Spanish and working for a few years, Jessica Hanks planned to pursue a graduate degree, but was unsure of where to go.
"A family friend had attended Terry and recommended that I investigate the MBA program there," says Hanks. "She just couldn't say enough about the College. So I researched the school and Athens. And after I went in for my interview it was pretty much decided — I would get my MBA at UGA."
"I really liked the international program at Terry, because I wanted to specialize in international business and marketing. I already spoke Spanish fluently and was very interested in the international trip to Cuba with the MBA program over Spring Break. It turned out to be an absolutely incredible trip.
"Athens is a great college town," Hanks adds. "Although it's small, you can see that it feeds on the energy from the University. There is so much to do. The music, the plays. It's very self-contained. And then there's UGA football in the fall. The first football season alone was such fun. People can tell you about SEC football, but until you experience it, you just don't understand! Athens is a great place to live and study."
Jessica wanted to work in the southeast, and her degree from Terry was invaluable in achieving this career goal.
"There is such a collaborative working atmosphere at Terry. We all helped each other both with our coursework and in networking as we began to look for jobs. You just don't see this at other MBA programs."
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"The most meaningful part of this MBA program is the confidence it has instilled in me."
After more than 20 years in high-level corporate positions, Eric decided that he wanted to change his career path. Fortunately, he and the CEO of his company had a great relationship. When he explained to her that he thought he needed more business acumen in finance, she encouraged him to go back to school. Although he could have gone anywhere in the country, there was no other business school in Eric's sights than the full-time MBA program at the Terry College.
Eric had received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Alabama's Tuskegee University. Over the course of his career, he and his family had lived in 9 different states.
"I wanted to come home," said Jackson. "I grew up in Athens and have always been a diehard Bulldog fan."
Starting Terry at 43 years old and being the "elder statesman" in many of his classes, Eric decided early on to have an open mind and to come to school in a learning mode.
"The most meaningful part of this MBA program is the confidence it has instilled in me," Jackson says. "Terry not only taught me a lot that I didn't know. It's also helping me make better use of the base of knowledge I had already acquired in the business world. I can parlay the Terry experience and what I've learned into any area of my life."
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"I have developed multifaceted communications skills and now think strategically with a firm foundation for decision-making."
Lori Kose started college right after high school graduation but soon concluded that the world had more to teach her than an educational institution did. She dropped out and started working. Realizing she needed more education to succeed, she enrolled at a local community college for an associate's degree. While working for a pharmaceuticals company, Lori found the need to continue her education and attended night school. She earned her bachelor's degree in accounting — in three years. It was back to work once again, until she decided that an MBA was in her future. Lori investigated MBA programs, and Terry was her choice.
"Although I have created my own challenges, it has been a path of determination for me to complete my education," explains Kose. "The fact that Terry offered the 11-month program was the key to my decision. This accelerated program was absolutely the best fit for me. The personal coaching and leadership development offered by the Terry program appealed to me, too. A lot of schools talk about this, but Terry really transfers the knowledge to its students, who really do develop leadership skills."
Her Terry MBA has also given Lori the confidence to refocus her career goals. Kose says, "When I came to the program, my goal was to get my MBA, work in accounting, get my CPA, and eventually own my own company. But now, I see that I want to go into finance, not accounting, with a large multinational firm. Terry helped me see the broader picture that I had missed before."
"Terry has prepared me for the world of big business in a number of areas," Kose observes. "I have developed multifaceted communications skills and now think strategically with a firm foundation for decision-making. If I had not come to Terry, I would not have been exposed to this."
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"Terry provided a tremendous academic and experiential learning environment, allowing me to effectively transition back into the workplace."
When federal and state budgetary cuts substantially reduced the funding available to the non-profit agency she had managed for several years, JB Reed decided to go back to school for her MBA degree.
"Terry really stood out for me because of the focus of the program," says Reed. "The training in team management, speaking skills, presentation skills, listening skills — the soft skills that business professionals are often lacking — was a big topic of interest for me. I could learn accounting and finance anywhere, but given that Terry placed such an emphasis on personal development and leadership skills, it was my first choice."
Another important aspect of JB's MBA training was retooling for the multigenerational challenges she expects to encounter in today's business environment. She explains that, Terry's emphasis on working within a permanent team during her first year both supported and challenged her management style.
"I was used to being the 'boss,' and there were no bosses on our team. It was good for me to be able to let go of control and allow other people to emerge as leaders."
"Going back to school validated that I had learned a lot about managing a business while working in a non-profit environment," says Reed. "Terry provided a tremendous academic and experiential learning environment that allowed me to effectively transition back into the workplace."
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"You can work anywhere in the world with an MBA from the Terry College at the University of Georgia"
Claudia Velazco's bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Lima had won her a job in Peru. But to fulfill her goal of working internationally, she decided that she needed an MBA from a major university in the United States.
Claudia already had a built-in family support system in Atlanta, Athens and Savannah, as many of her family members had moved from Peru to Georgia.
"I have a cousin who studied at the Terry College, and he highly recommended their MBA program to me," explains Velazco. "Although I applied to several places, including the University of Chicago, I liked the program, the people and the weather better in Athens. Plus, the 11-month program appealed to me. I wanted to get my MBA without having to invest so much time in school."
She arrived from Lima just two weeks before classes started in Athens and faced a number of immediate challenges: "I had to get accustomed to speaking English only, to enroll, find a place to live, and get ready for classes, all in such a short time."
Claudia's goal to work internationally was achieved because of her Terry education, the confidence she gained in the program, and through the networking contacts of the College. She now works in a great position in internal auditing for PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Atlanta.
"Terry gives you the tools to be successful in all aspects of your life."
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"For me, the networking aspects were a great benefit to being a part of the Terry College."
For Rudy Weber it was all about developing the leadership skills he needed to be able to pursue his career goal of management consultant. This single-minded pursuit led him directly to the full-time MBA program at the Terry College.
Since management consulting is such an extremely competitive field, Rudy researched MBA programs and decided on the Terry MBA Program for several reasons: he liked the smaller class sizes, the economic value of the degree, and the leadership component. Plus, the Terry program balanced academics with "soft skills," such as communication and social influence skills, both vital when in a consulting role.
"For me, the networking aspects were a great benefit to being a part of the Terry College," said Weber. "The Career Management Center gives wonderful support. The smaller size of the Terry MBA program enables the people in the Center to know you personally and understand your goals. They are extremely helpful and utilize the Terry network to put you in contact with the right individuals for your particular situation."
"I know it was my first-class MBA education from Terry that helped me land my dream job as a management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton," says Weber.
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"The Terry MBA gave me the best return on my investment of any MBA program I researched."
When Tao Zhou started investigating MBA programs from his home in China, he went online and started corresponding with admissions offices about their individual programs. He wanted to continue his education in America, but knew he'd need financial assistance to study abroad.
Tao found that personal referrals were very important in his decision to pursue his MBA. In his research, he discovered Chinese students who had previously been through the Terry MBA Program and one who was a current student.
"The MBA program at the University of Georgia is very prestigious," says Tao, "and its reputation is becoming well known throughout the United States. And fortunately for me, the application process was easy. Everyone was extremely friendly and my questions were all answered promptly."
"I would highly recommend this program," says Zhou. "Everything about Terry was so impressive — the atmosphere, working with my classmates and the professors. What I learned was so relevant."
Today Tao works in Prospect Heights, Illinois, with the title of Senior Financial Analyst for HSBC Finance Corporation, a subsidary of the London-headquartered HSBC Holdings PLC.
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