Steven Thorne

WHY WEBER STATE

I felt somewhat stagnant and was very interested in a challenge. When Hill Air Force Base offered a scholarship, I immediately applied. I love to learn and when I saw this opportunity, I thought, “That’s perfect. I’ll take it.”

Title

I’m an Engineer by curren profession. However, it has been so long since I went to school, I didn’t feel like I currently had the ability to pursue an Engineering Masters program. I felt the MBA would complement my experience well, and open doors for me in the future.

PROFESSOR IMPACT

I was able to take some great classes from some really fantastic professors. There were some course topics that I enjoyed better than others. I really enjoyed the Organizational Behavior course lead by Dr. Ingersoll and Ethnics by Dr. Anderson. I loved both of their teaching styles and the way they both turned it into a class-wide discussion on challenging topics. Those courses provided a lot of intellectual challenges and peaked my interest in behaviour science.

Some other courses I enjoyed are Management Accounting by Dr. Gouldman, Marketing by Brett Horstman, Strategic Management by Dr. Noack and PM by Matt Willart.

WHAT'S NEXT

For the short term, I’ll be staying in my current position, although I’m not opposed to pursuing opportunities as they come along. I am interested in pursuing more challenging roles within my current organization, and with the MBA I would be more competitive for those roles going forward.

ADVICE FOR FUTURE STUDENTS

If you are able, take one class at a time. Focus on one topic without switching back and forth. I was able to take the classes this way, and it was extremely helpful. You’re able to narrow your focus and really learn the subject, for me it was better.

GRATITUDE

It was interesting going into this experience because I had very few expectations, not having a business background. It was surprising what I came away with from the MBA program. I discovered interests that I didn’t anticipate, such as human behavior and ethics. Those areas now fascinate me, and I never would have even considered those areas of study before. I’m grateful for the diversity of courses I was able to take, and the experiences I was able to have through the MBA program.