Valpo Father and Daughter Classmates Receive Their MBA

Megan-Marrs-1Some people have the opportunity to share a classroom with their parents in a teacher/student relationship but many don’t have the chance to share a classroom as fellow students. Valparaiso University MBA student Megan Marrs and her father Bob both graduated from the MBA program on May 15, 2011. Both having received their undergrad degrees from Purdue, Megan and Bob realized an MBA would be beneficial to their careers, as a way to advance and keep their skills current. VU was the natural choice for Megan, having served as an admissions counselor for three years at the school. Bob chose the university for its excellent reputation, challenging curriculum, and low student to faculty ratio, as well as the benefit of attending with his daughter.

Throughout their time in the program, Megan and Bob took most of their classes together, competing in a friendly manner to be the best academically. “It was a little strange at first for our classmates, having my dad in classes,” said Megan, going on to say that after a bit of time, Bob became one of them, even joining them for a beer after class every now and then. Both worked very hard but ultimately Bob inched ahead with a higher GPA in the end, which Megan attributes to his years of experience.

Megan-Marrs-2Now that they’ve finally achieved their educational goals, Megan and Bob are going to apply what they’ve learned to their careers. Bob works as the group leader of instructional design at the NIPSCO training center in LaPorte. “The knowledge and skills gained from the VU MBA program will lead to increased responsibility and career growth,” stated Bob, “In addition, it will allow me to perform my job in a more efficient and effective manner which translates to better service and lower costs to our customers. Another added benefit is it keeps your mind fresh, particularly with critical thinking skills, strategy and continuous improvement, which all lead to a high performance culture.”

Megan has started her own business, Marrs Media Group, focusing primarily on branding and strategy both online and offline. “With an MBA background, Marrs Media Group not only can assist with strategic marketing, but also additional elements of your business that need assistance,” stated Megan.

Congrats to both Megan and Bob on your accomplishment!