Marcus' Story

Tell us about yourself.

My interest in business developed during my undergraduate year at Cal Poly Pomona. I initially went to school to study general anthropology. However, I started finding myself curious about business culture and how capitalism shapes human culture. After my undergraduate degree, I went on to do recruitment for a medical center where I was able to develop my professional skills. After a couple of years working in Human Resources, I was able to get a position at Cal Poly Pomona and that’s when I decided to go back to school for my MBA.
I chose Cal Poly Pomona because of the campus and access to resources students have. My job allows me to travel to different local CSU campuses and Cal Poly Pomona has the best one. The university is a mix of nature and modern buildings. Also, the College of Business Administration at Cal Poly Pomona has the best classrooms on campus.

What interests and excites you about business?

The most exciting thing about business is marketing. Personally, marketing is a powerful tool because it allows you to create value in the minds of consumers even when the value doesn’t exist. With easily accessible social media tools, marketing is more challenging because anyone can do it, but that is what makes it fun. I also enjoy how marketing pushes my creativity because to be successful at marketing, you have to think outside of the box.

Tell us about your experience in the MBA program.

Personally, the MBA program was challenging but in a good way. I had a different experience than a lot of my classmates because I didn’t have any background knowledge in basic business concepts. However, the program supplies students – like me – with online courses to get you up to speed. Where I was able to flourish was when I was able to tap into my imagination. For instance, in my business planning course, my team and I were able to come up with a great business plan. I also had one of the best product pitches in the class.

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

Cal Poly Pomona’s MBA program enhanced my understanding of marketing and business strategy. I can confidently say that I feel more competitive for jobs.

What is your future goal?

I would love to open my own business, but being a 2020 graduate COVID-19 sort of put a damper in that. Right now, I am focusing on getting a career doing marketing for academic programs or a medical facility since my professional background is in those two categories.

Do you have any advice for future MBA students?

If I could provide one piece of advice to future students, I would tell them to make friends. Networking with your classmates adds so much value to the MBA experience because you can learn from others and get different perspectives on business issues. Also, it is fun to go out and chat with people after class or before. Meeting so many amazing people made my time in the MBA program enjoyable.