FEATURED STUDENTS
Crummer MBA Prepares Athletes for What Comes Next
After years of experience leading their respective sports teams, business leadership at Crummer is a smooth transition for many Crummer student-athletes.
Jakobi Bonner, Captain of Rollins Men’s Basketball
Jakobi is a first year EAMBA student. He is part of the Accelerated Management program.
What made you decide on Crummer for your MBA?
I decided to go to Crummer because I love a challenge. I wanted to take on the challenge of developing myself in the best environment both as a leader and as a professional. What better opportunity to do so than to attend the reputable MBA program I heard about my whole life that is right in my backyard? I’m living a dream of mine.
What made you decide to pursue an MBA, and specifically choose Crummer?
I wanted to get an MBA because I wanted a challenge. I felt like this was the next step in my progression as a professional and student, and wanted to push myself to grow as much as possible.
What do you plan to do with your MBA?
I plan on using my Crummer MBA in the workforce by ultimately utilizing the two skills that have stood out to me most in my time in my first semester: creativity and teamwork. I think that we have been pushed to think about solutions in the most innovative frame of mind possible, in addition to emphasizing the ability to share and articulate these thoughts in a team setting.
How has playing on the Rollins Men’s Basketball team prepared you for your MBA?
My sport prepared me by showing me that discipline and dedication go a long way. Especially being in a leadership role on my team, it’s important to learn: you can’t get too high or too low. You have to stay focused on the end goal despite the current challenges and find out what it takes to persevere.
How has your MBA education helped you on the basketball court?
I think my MBA level education continues to teach me that every individual works differently and approaches the task differently. For me, this is an evolving process, and I now see it from a different perspective. Everyone learns at different speeds.
What have been your biggest takeaways from pursuing your Crummer MBA while being a leader on the basketball team?
It’s been challenging. No secrets there. I do it by learning my schedule ahead of time and being the best communicator I can be. Transparency is key – this way there are no surprises when conflicts arise. Determination is the one ingredient you need in all of this, and if you have that, then everything else will fall into place.
My path is going to be different from the next student-athlete that comes along. It’s different from former basketball players that have come through the Crummer program; we all have different struggles and varying commitments. I know this – if I can achieve my goals and be successful in my role as a student-athlete and Crummer student, then I can inspire the next person (whoever that may be) to take on the challenge of obtaining their MBA and following their dreams, and that’s what this is all about in the end.
Brook Ottaway, Rollins Women’s Lacrosse
Brooke is a second year EAMBA student. She spent her first year at Crummer on the women’s lacrosse team. She is an Accelerated Management student with plans to work in marketing in New York City upon graduation.
What made you decide to pursue an MBA, and specifically choose Crummer?
I wanted to to pursue my MBA because I wanted to have a leg up on my peers when pursuing a job. I wanted to get better at my weaknesses and grow my strengths. Deciding to go to Crummer was an easy choice. Going to Rollins for my undergraduate years really served as a second home for me, so it was only fitting that I continue my education at my second home. Crummer has taught me to be a better leader in my community and in the classroom.
How do you plan to leverage your Crummer MBA in the workforce?
Crummer has been such a great experience that has taught me a lot about team work and critical thinking. I think the greatest thing I will take with me is the experience of working in a group setting and thinking critically with my peers to solve issues or collaborate on projects. Learning how to have a difference of an opinion but using that in way to challenge each other to find the best outcome.
How did playing lacrosse prepare you for your MBA?
Being a part of a team throughout my collegiate years taught me a few things. It taught me the value of time management, it taught me to respect other people’s opinions, and it helped me to realize that I love being a part of a team and working for a common goal.
How did your MBA education help you step up as a leader on the lacrosse team?
While I am not still playing, the classes that we take at Crummer really put an emphasis on being a leader, and it really helped me to have the confidence to become a true leader on the field my senior year.
How did you balance both a Crummer MBA education and college lacrosse?
It is SO doable. Being an athlete in college is just like being an athlete all your life, with just a bit more pressure! You grow up learning time management through the number of hours you put into school and your sport, so this is just a continuation of that time. The best part about it all is that your best friends on the team are going through the same struggles you are so everyone bonds together to get it done.
Mark Angelo, Rollins Men’s Baseball
Mark is a second year EAMBA student. He played on the Rollins baseball team for four years prior to enrolling at Crummer. He currently works part-time at Lululemon, with an option to go full-time and explore a corporate position in the future. He is also exploring opportunities with Major League Baseball.
How do you plan to leverage your Crummer MBA in the workforce?
Throughout my time at Crummer, I have learned to set aside my ego for the benefit of creating a successful team dynamic; working to emphasize our strengths and fill in each other’s weaknesses has proven to be the most helpful skill of all. I also speak on behalf of undergraduate students of Rollins College as well, having such a diverse foundation in the liberal arts is one of the most valuable skillsets a student can have.
What made you decide to pursue an MBA, and specifically choose Crummer?
My family supported and encouraged both my sister, Briana Angelo `14MBA, and myself in committing to pursuing an MBA. I followed my sister’s footsteps, seeing how much success her MBA had brought her with a career in medical software consulting through Epic Systems. I found that Crummer’s emphasis on leadership and diverse range of classes to be the most appealing and practical for a meaningful career.
How did playing on the Rollins Baseball team prepare you for your MBA?
As with any team sport, there comes the developed skill of working with others who have completely different thought processes than yourself; how to handle stressful situations and pressure; sacrificing time and scheduling for the benefit of the team for efficiency; as well as keeping a healthy, positive mind for the long-run.
How do you balance athletics and school?
During my time as an undergraduate athlete and working part-time jobs in both years at Crummer, I can safely say that there are sacrifices that have to be made in order to allow for success in the prioritized areas. I didn’t go out much as an undergraduate student, and my free-time is highly valued in my graduate-level experiences. Self-care is a real thing: burnout happens all too often when people spread themselves too thin across too many activities, and working out is essential to my routine to keep a healthy state-of-being…as well as yoga, which we host for free at 10am every Sunday on Park Ave through Lululemon.