Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Ventura, CA, a small beach town north of Los Angeles.
What do you like to do for fun?
My husband and I are avid outdoor enthusiasts! In the summers we enjoy riding dirtbikes, biking the green belt and enjoying the local parks. In the winter, you can usually find us on the slopes at Tamarack or Bogus Basin.
What is something unique about you?
I’ve always been crafty and about five years ago, I taught myself how to sew. Since then, I’ve made dozens of quilts and even turned my hobby into a business! I opened my own Etsy store in 2020 and made a variety of custom items and ended up making masks for the Stanford and Loyola Medical School programs.
What is your current professional role and place of employment?
Currently, I work as the Marketing Operations Manager for Proesis Bio. We are a small start up in our second year, and are staying busy opening plasma centers all over the country.
What does your job entail? What do you like most?
Plasma is a life saving material that cannot be created in a lab. The plasma we collect is made into life saving therapeutics, improving the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people. By far the best part of my job is getting to meet and work with patients and advocates who directly benefit from receiving plasma derived therapies. In my role, I help coordinate and define our brand identity, messaging and community involvement from coast to coast.
Why did you decide to pursue Boise State’s Professional MBA program?
Earning an MBA has always been a goal of mine, and once I learned about the Professional MBA path at Boise State, it seemed like a perfect fit. I loved the idea of learning in-person and meeting other professionals from the Treasure Valley. The course list also seemed to match a lot of what I wanted to get out of a program and educational gaps I was looking to fill.
In your opinion, what has been the most impactful part about the Professional MBA program?
In the Professional MBA program, there is direct applicability for what we learn in the classroom. Very often, our projects and assignments require us to reach out to our teams at work to learn and apply what we are studying. I really enjoyed immediately putting into practice the lessons we were being taught and seeing how they impact my role directly.
Tell us about how you balance work, life and school. What are your tips for success?
Other than investing in a great coffee maker, I suggest that you really connect with your cohort members. The relationships I’ve built and the friendships that I have developed over the past two years have really added to, and enriched, the experience. Besides having a great new network, I was able to laugh through the stress and lean on those around me. Getting to know the other PMBA students and drawing on their experiences is invaluable!
Since starting the Professional MBA, how has the program impacted your leadership abilities, work performance and/or career advancement?
The skills and knowledge I’ve gained through the program have been immensely helpful professionally. Even though I may not be an expert on Supply Chain or Accounting, I have the tools and language to understand what is going on around me and can contribute in a more meaningful way in discussions as I advance in my career.
What is your post-MBA plan (personally or professionally)?
Post MBA, I am most looking forward to reapplying myself and some newfound free time to exciting projects at work and expanding our Marketing initiatives. I’m also looking forward to perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe.