Meet Lindner’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2024

Why did you decide to pursue a full-time MBA at Lindner?

I initially began my career as an electrical engineer, spending the first few years in that role. I transitioned into more managerial responsibilities within my organization. I soon realized the complexities that come with a managerial position, and I candidly faced some initial challenges in grasping all the intricacies it entailed. I made the decision to pursue a full-time MBA at Lindner, with the aim of enhancing my readiness for demanding management roles in the future.

What made you choose Lindner? 

My primary reason for selecting Lindner was the comprehensive selection of courses available in the full-time MBA program. I was particularly drawn to the foundational and advanced courses in probability and statistics, appreciating the equilibrium between courses geared towards enhancing our analytical skills and other technical subjects. Moreover, Lindner's exceptional co-op program and the department's certification offerings were decisive factors in my choice.

What’s been your impression of Lindner to this point, and what do you hope to accomplish at Lindner?

I've been thoroughly impressed with my program. While it can be challenging at times, I believe it's structured to provide you with the essential skills for success in today's world. I genuinely value the opportunity to be part of this program and look forward to absorbing all that it has to offer, arming myself with the abilities to broaden my horizons.

Why did you decide to pursue a full-time MBA at Lindner?

This past summer, I worked for Southwest Airlines as a data analyst. In my department, I met with business consultants, reporting analysts, strategy consultants, project managers and planning consultants. I realized my technical role could be even more impactful towards fulfilling the company’s mission if I had a cross-functional business understanding. Therefore, I was inspired to pursue an MBA to gain business insights to blend with my technical background.

My experience as a Division I athlete also inspired me. Contributing to a demanding athletic team while also balancing academics allowed me to develop persistence, time management and collaboration skills, and taught me to work under pressure. I found that investing in team members and leading others translated to integral components in a team’s or company’s success.

An MBA provides me with critical and necessary concepts to excel in my business career path. Gaining a well-rounded skillset in business-focused elements will best prepare me to tackle today’s business challenges. From a long-term perspective, the MBA will prepare me to grow in a company from technical positions to management with the edge to compete.

What made you choose Lindner?

Lindner’s full-time MBA program exhibits respectable rankings, not only in Ohio or the Midwest, but in the country. Additionally, one of the five powerful distinctions of the MBA program is community. As the full-time program centralizes around a cohort experience, I believe the opportunity to build community in the learning environment not only enhances the academic experience but also creates lasting networking opportunities as I step into my career.

What’s been your impression of Lindner to this point, and what do you hope to accomplish at Lindner?  

Going into this program, I knew the cohort experience would set itself apart from other MBA programs, but I’m truly blown away by how special it is making my experience.  

Most of the courses in the program center around working collaboratively with your classmates to solve a problem. So, being challenged to solve real-world problems with different groups of people in a limited amount of time is equipping me with the right tools as I head into my career. Additionally, building camaraderie with my cohort has already been so rewarding, so I’m excited to continue learning from, collaborating with and experiencing some pretty cool opportunities that Lindner has to offer. 

I’ve also been blown away by the staff here at Lindner that are dedicated to my personal and career development. It’s very evident they want the best for me and have really inspired me to strive towards goals I initially wouldn’t have thought about.    

Why did you decide to pursue a full-time MBA at Lindner?

I was looking for a career pivot and wanted to go back to graduate school in order to soul search in an academic environment.

What’s been your impression of Lindner to this point, and what do you hope to accomplish at Lindner?

I've enjoyed the professional networking opportunities at Lindner. The Lindner career counselors have helped enhance my resume, and the professors are masters in their field, allowing me to strengthen areas of business that I wasn't strong in before. This has increased my confidence in marketing myself to the professional community. Lindner provides opportunities through career fairs and conferences for me to meet with companies. I'm hoping to utilize these professional connections to jumpstart my next career after I conclude the MBA program next summer.

Why did you decide to pursue a full-time MBA at Lindner? 

I chose to pursue a full-time MBA because I wanted to focus solely on school rather than try to balance full-time work with part-time schooling. Also, I liked the idea of the cohort format.

What made you choose Lindner? 

Lindner’s reputation, the ranking of UC’s MBA and the positive experiences I had as an undergrad at UC were all things that motivated me to pursue my MBA at Lindner.

What’s been your impression of Lindner to this point, and what do you hope to accomplish at Lindner? 

Overall, I have a positive impression of Lindner to this point. I hope to continue earning high marks in my classes, making professional connections, strengthening my bond with the members of my cohort and growing as a professional.

Strickland was awarded Lindner’s Schaps Scholarship, which supports a full-time MBA student by covering tuition.