Meet Washington Olin’s MBA Class of 2018

Ryan Kirk

Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Creative and analytical. Student and teacher. Outgoing and eager to listen.

Hometown: Princeton, Indiana

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was once a lead singer and guitarist for a cover band.

Undergraduate School and Major: Middle Tennessee State University. Music and Secondary Education

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Sales Representative and Product Expert – Glazers Distributors of Missouri

Sales Representative and Wine Specialist – United Distributors of Georgia

Assistant Branch Manager – Enterprise Holdings

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My greatest accomplishment has been discovering my ability to quickly create positive, impactful, and quantifiable results in a variety of environments and organizations.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? I advise that you give time to this process daily. Look deeply at your target schools and make sure they are the right fit for you and your goals. Think about the stories from your life that represent your talents and “brand” value, and how you can best share them in an interview or essay. Find your areas of weakness on the GMAT and devote time to practicing those questions daily. Even after a long day at work, give time to this process. Your hard work and dedication will be evident and set you apart.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I knew that I wanted to explore other industries early in my MBA journey. Olin gives you so many opportunities to do this. The faculty and staff at Olin want to help you explore, and find the best fit for your future. Olin also has the Center for Experiential Learning, which allows you to apply your classroom knowledge through partnering with businesses and solving real world problems.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I want to become a brand or product manager, but eventually enter into new product innovation. Brand and product management will give me opportunities to be creative, but also analytical. It also involves working with so many aspects of a business, and pulling those people together to accomplish a common goal.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? When I leave the program, I hope my peers know that I care about their success as much as my own.