first mba class group shot

Twenty- three members of Elizabethtown College’s inaugural Masters of Business Administration (MBA) class walked across the stage to accept their diplomas Saturday, May 17. MBA adult students graduated with the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center along with 139 bachelor’s degree graduates and 43 associate degree graduates.

Edward Martin, president and CEO of Blue Clay Ventures, spoke to the graduates about the importance of attaining your degree. “Why you’re doing it is more important than what you’re doing,” said Martin. At the Commencement, College President Carl J. Strikwerda honored Martin with a Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa.

Leanna Meiser, senior manager for marketing training and capability for the Hershey Company and Elizabethtown College MBA graduate, thanked the College Board of Trustees for approving the MBA program three years ago and reminded graduates to thank their family members for helping them achieve this goal. “Cheers to us, for making this milestone in our lives. This is so special for us… why? Because we have the unique position to gain this degree while working and maintaining our lives as professional adults,” said Meiser during her speech to the graduating class. “While we commit to the life of the mind, this commitment constantly competes with the life we need to live in practicality. It is a delicate balance that not just at times… but all the time, was hard to strike.”

To attain this degree, graduates must already have a minimum of three years of professional leadership or management experience and have had an average grade point average of 3.0 or higher from their undergraduate studies.

We hope to continue to be connected with this new group of alumni as they use their advanced degree into the future.” –Randazzo

Barbara Randazzo, assistant dean of enrollment management for SCPS, said that as the adult program grew, it was a natural extension to add the additional degree level. “The affiliated faculty that teach in the MBA program come from a wide variety of industries and areas of expertise,” said Randazzo.  “They bring their own real world experiences into the classroom to challenge students to apply new knowledge to business situations they are facing every day.”

The 26 graduates of the program leave Elizabethtown College with a master’s degree that prepares them to make a difference in the world through their study of corporate social responsibility and the role of business in communities.  “We hope to continue to be connected with this new group of alumni as they use their advanced degree into the future,” Randazzo

With the added master’s degree, it was the first time the SCPS graduation had the customary hooding ceremony. “We think it went really well.  The setting in Leffler Chapel was beautiful and the audience seemed to really appreciate the importance of the master’s degree conferral process.  All 205 of our graduates enjoyed the event and the beautiful reception afterward,” said Randazzo.

Meiser said in her speech that Elizabethtown College has created an invaluable network of experts that have proven to be accessible whenever and where ever class members need support. “How many other MBA candidates get the luxury of saying that they graduate with another gigabyte of professional contacts in their smart phones?” she said.

Elizabethtown College’s SCPS program recently has added a Master’s of Science in Strategic Leadership (MSL) to its offerings to help students become stronger leaders in their workplaces and in lives. For those interested in furthering their education with a master’s degree or enroll in another adult degree program, visit the SCPS website.