Dwayne Cartagena Testimonial
How has your master’s program impacted your personal and professional growth?
Pursuing a Master’s degree was something that I always wanted to accomplish but for various reasons involving work and life I felt I wouldn’t be able to create and balance the time needed to achieve a Master’s degree. Completing the MBA program within a years’ time (in which I did) is a personal goal I set for myself to show my kids (8- and 12-year-old boys) that with the right focus you can always accomplish your goals. The MBA program has helped me realize that personal and professional growth journeys are not meant to be straight, there are many turns and roundabouts but always moving forward is what’s most important.
How has the master’s program prepared you for your future career goals?
One of the primary reasons I pursued an MBA degree was to give myself the opportunity to go after positions and roles that may be just out of my reach related to my career experience. This MBA degree should open up more opportunities that will allow me to get in front of prospective companies where I can showcase my skills/abilities and help me realize my full career potential.
Can you share a particular project or experience you found especially valuable during your time in the program?
There were two courses that challenged my perspectives and made me re-evaluate many of my personal and professional experiences. First is the diversity, inclusion and countering bias course, here I learned how diversity and inclusion can promote innovation and improve morale. Also, understanding how a high sense of self-awareness can combat negative biases to help realize how lived/learned experiences can cultivate negative biases. Second is entrepreneurial strategy course, here I was able to understand that business ventures are always about the financials but success is usually driven by the perseverance and support systems of those running the company.
How has your perspective on your field of study or industry changed since the beginning of the program?
What I found most intriguing about my MBA journey is that it confirmed most of my business knowledge gained in my many years working in retail. What the MBA program has done for me is given me a better understanding on how and why business processes function the way do, allowing me to gain the ability to innovate in any business environment.
