Singelyn Graduate School of Business

Barbara's Story

MBA Student

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Barbara Eruo. I am a traveler, an extrovert, a friend, a reader, and a semi-professional tv watcher, among other titles. Most times, you can find me either out exploring interesting spots around town with my friends or at home talking to the television screen as if the shows can hear me. Through the myriad experiences I have gone through in my life, I have acquired and built on so many different skills and interests. Many of my friends and classmates would consider me a strong team player who knows how to work hard and work smart.

With my academic career, it has been quite the journey. I did an accelerated pre-med program at Kent State University over in Ohio, graduating in 2017 with a B.S. in Integrated Life Sciences. Then, I went into medical school that same year. Science had always been one of my passions, and I thoroughly enjoyed the materials that I learned while in medical school. However, I had noticed during college that perhaps becoming a doctor was not the route I really wanted to pursue. And my first year of medical school sealed the deal. So, I left.

In leading up to that crucial decision, I had considered my options and thought about what things I deemed important to my future. I needed something that gave me the flexibility, creativity, and team environment I wanted to thrive. And that led me to business. Two months later, I took the GRE and applied to a bunch of universities in southern California to pursue a master’s degree in business administration.

Another two months later, I moved across the country and started coursework as part of the Class of 2020 cohort for the MBA program at Cal Poly Pomona. It is now the end of spring 2020, and I can tack on those three letters at the end of my name. Barbara Eruo, MBA.

What interests and excites you about business?

What excites me about business is the fact that it is ingrained in various aspects of our lives and offers a flexibility that few other majors/industries have. With business, you could work in anything from the medical industry to the food industry to the entertainment industry. It really depends on what your interests are and where your strengths lie. As my career continues to develop, I endeavor to work in one of my main interests (health, fashion, technology, gaming, and tv/entertainment) while also being able to travel on the job. In my current role as a content marketing specialist, I work for a technology company on its technology branch and its health supplement branch of operations. So, it seems that I’m doing alright so far! And this was made possible by transitioning into business.

Tell us about your experience in the MBA program.

I had an overall positive and enriching experience in the Cal Poly Pomona MBA program. First and foremost, the program advisors and office of graduate studies were helpful in coordinating the classes and open to student concerns. They genuinely seemed to care about the success of us, students. Because of that, my colleagues and I had no issues sending them emails about class topics and course load, for example.

The program contained a mix of traditional and hybrid courses, meaning sometimes we had to attend multiple classes a week while the following week we only had one. With this variability in in-person classes, it allowed many of us students who also worked to better balance our responsibilities. This flexibility was particularly helpful for me since I sometimes had to drive up to an hour or more to get to class. Plus, the courses covered diverse topics from leadership and ethics in organizations to management strategies. In these courses, we reviewed case studies and made presentations on important business topics.

I think that the MBA program was a great opportunity to learn higher-level business thinking and strategizing. However, there were a few things that I would have liked better. The networking aspect wasn’t particularly strong in my cohort, so I would have liked there to be more events available to connect. Also, I think I wish there had been a wider variety of classes available to choose from for the classes; granted, this would require even more extensive coordination.

What strengths/skills have you gained from the program and taken back to work?

Through the MBA program at Cal Poly Pomona, I was able to successfully transition into business school. The prerequisite courses they offered before our first classes allowed me to get up to speed on current business topics and methods. I learned a great deal about marketing theories, operations management, accounting practices, and more. In addition, the coursework focused on effective communication to help facilitate teamwork. We often worked together on projects that required careful research to discover helpful solutions. This also meant that my colleagues and I faced various situations in which not everyone agreed with the plan. So, we learned how to navigate disagreements in order to arrive at an acceptable course of action.

In the workplace, I was able to put these skills to practice in helping start discussions among my coworkers and creating plans that helped our workflows. I used the marketing ideas that I learned in the classroom and directly applied them to the tasks I did at work. Also, I facilitated many strategic and planning discussions at work due to the practice I had at Cal Poly Pomona. All of the skills I honed were applicable to my job.

What are your future goals?

My overarching goals in life are to be happy, to work at a company I believe in, and to surround myself with good people. In regard to my work goals, I want to establish a career in an industry that I love and do work that is worthwhile and creative. Like I mentioned earlier, I have a lot of interests that I can see myself branching into. The perfect job for me would allow for a flexible schedule where I can work both in-office and remotely. I want to be able to travel around the States and overseas for my job, giving presentations, and providing materials for the company.

Over the years, I will have discovered a nice work-life balance that allows me to maintain my mental health and support those around me. The ultimate role will most likely be something along the lines of marketing director, chief marketing officer, or VP of marketing. I aim to create marketing strategies that yield positive results and contribute creative assets to successful marketing campaigns.

Do you have any advice for future MBA students?

Here is some advice: don’t be afraid to ask questions. Throughout my academic and professional careers, I have been intentional in asking questions about what is going on. Teachers like to see that their students are engaged in the class and are actively trying to learn the material. By asking questions, this shows that you are thinking and trying to understand. Going in hand with questions, make sure that you are effectively reading the required materials. Some people think that they can get by in school without putting forth the necessary effort. But, this just makes it harder for them and also prevents them from getting full use of the curriculum. Read, talk about the material, and be involved.

In addition, you have to make sure to pace yourself. You do not want to be overwhelmed with classes, especially if you also have a job or a family to take care of. You can pace yourself by creating an organized schedule of your classes and staying on top of your responsibilities. Plus, you can sometimes reach out to your classmates for help.