Sang Ho's Story

Tell us about yourself

I was born in the Republic of Korea and came to Orange County, CA when I was 12. For my undergraduate degree, I went to CPP and started with a Mechanical Engineering degree. In my second year, I switched my major to International Business and Marketing. During college, I was working for Korean Airlines at LAX. After graduating in 2011, I worked at Dream Weddings & Venue in Koreatown, Los Angeles, as General Manager. I was in charge of marketing, sales, consulting and operating the weddings and other events.

In January 2013, I enlisted into the United States Army where I completed my Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Lee, Virginia. I was then stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado as Unit Supply Specialist, and obtained several logistics certifications to assist my future endeavors. In 2015, I was deployed to Jordan and stationed in Korea for two years from 2016 to 2018. While in Korea, I applied to and got accepted into the United States Army Green to Gold Active Duty program. The United States Army Green to Gold Active Duty program allowed me to pursue an MBA while sustaining my enlistment contract by participating in Army ROTC at CPP. The program is hosted by Claremont McKenna College. After graduating with an MBA, I will be commissioning as an Army Officer and start my new path in the Army as Army Aviator.

What interests and excites you about business?

When I switched majors as an undergraduate, I chose Business Administration because business fits everywhere. Business can apply to all areas including the engineering industry, the medical industry, and the tech industry. Getting an MBA solidifies my knowledge in business. For example, CPP's MBA program allowed me to touch-up on business knowledge I learned as an undergrad, but more in-depth. CPP's MBA program is set up in a way that students can apply business techniques to the real world. All courses were targeted to real-world case problems and they were an eye-opener. It was even more exciting because some course projects involved teamwork and we got to work with real industries.

Tell us about your experience in the MBA program.

The MBA program was exciting in a way that helped me break out of my norm. I am usually a quiet person, but all the courses in the MBA program required teamwork. I believe because the MBA program is where we can network. I have made great friends that I can network with in the future.

As far as classes, digital marketing was one of my favorite classes. The class applied to the current digital world directly. The course has taught me real-world applications. We also had actual digital marketers as a guest every other week, where they provided their current work situations and market experience. The course materials and requirements by Dr. Schiele were awesome. She was very understanding of students’ situations (full-time employees, having kids at home, etc.). I believe all the students in that class were 100% satisfied when we all shared our opinions at the end.

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

Getting an MBA has taught me a lot of skills and techniques. People think business concepts may not relate to serving in the Army. However, the knowledge you gain is relevant. Classes such as Ethics and Leadership to Operations Management are perfect examples of skills you use. For instance, being an ethical leader and applying better-operating measures to lead the troops efficiently are skills I can utilize. Additionally, once I retire from the Army, the knowledge I have gained from both undergraduate and graduate programs will be useful for my second career.

What is your future goal?

My short-term goal is to complete the MBA program, graduate and commission as Army Officer. Then, when I move to Fort Rucker, AL for flight school, I hope I can successfully graduate and be an Army pilot. As a long-term goal, I hope to complete my 20 years of service, retire and move on to my second career as a commercial pilot and/or logistician.

Do you have any advice for future MBA students?

Some advice for prospective MBA students is to stay resilient. Many of my cohort students were full-time employees, had children, and some had irregular day-to-day schedules which made going to school challenging. However, professors and the graduate office were always there to assist us in any way they can. They not only gave us the tools needed to navigate classes but supported us every step of the way. I had two daughters while I was in the MBA program, and it was challenging to wake up every couple of hours to feed newborns while working and going to school fulltime. However, the graduate office was always open to assist any concerns I had and ultimately got me to where I am now, 4 weeks away until the end of the program. So, stay resilient and always ask for assistance between cohorts, professors and graduate office before thinking about giving up.