While the coronavirus has changed how events and programming are offered, the Walton MBA Programs Office has continued to provide learning and networking opportunities for its many alumni.
While the coronavirus has changed how events and programming are offered, the Walton MBA Programs Office has continued to provide learning and networking opportunities for its many alumni.
“My favorite part of coordinating these events is interacting with the speakers who are experts in their own respective field,” Kar said. “Since we cover a range of topics, I get the chance to learn a lot from them even when I am coordinating with them for a session.”
“One of the best benefits of the post-graduate program is the immense effort that Walton puts into connecting its graduates with other alumni in a broad range of industries and facilitating continued educational series,” 2016 MBA graduate Michael Goswami said.
While the effects of the pandemic have made virtual programming a necessity, that also has allowed the Walton MBA Programs Office to include alumni and speakers in different parts of the country and the world that normally would not be able to attend.
“Though we have somewhat lost the opportunity to network which was the main idea of our workshops, I am excited that I get to invite alumni and speakers from any part of USA and the world,” Kar said. “For example, we are working with one speaker who is based in Singapore. In one of our sessions, we had a guest join us from Panama. We also had alumni join us from California, Texas, North Carolina, etc. We no longer have to restrict ourselves to speakers and audience from Northwest Arkansas or exclusively from the United States.”
Brandon Rush, a 2018 MBA graduate, believes the alumni events offered by the Walton Programs office add value to his MBA degree.
“I believe the Walton alumni network is a tremendous benefit to the MBA program,” Rush said. “Though the Walmart supplier community was definitely the main exit opportunity from Walton MBA, my class had a variety of exits across different industries and geographies. There is a good mix of people who stay local versus striking out to Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and New York City that I can meet up with alumni almost anywhere I travel. It is very comforting to know in today’s fast-changing world that the Walton degree was so flexible as to be a benefit to such a wide variety of careers.”
Despite the difficulties in providing networking opportunities amid the pandemic, the Walton MBA Programs Office remains committed to providing the alumni with opportunities to connect and to grow their knowledge and skillsets.
“The Walton College’s efforts to build a cohesive alumni network through the reconnection opportunities adds value after graduation, serving as a continued ‘return on investment,’” Rush said. “This was exactly what I was looking for in an MBA program, and am proud to say I found it at Walton.”
Post Author:
Julie Storing is the Associate Director of MBA Recruitment in the Walton MBA Programs Office at
the University of Arkansas. With eight years of experience working in student affairs,
Julie has worked in both admissions and advising at the University of California San
Diego, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Central Arkansas.
She started working with the Walton MBA Programs Office in January 2019 and is passionate
about making higher education accessible to students from diverse backgrounds.
