Meet Michigan State’s MBA Class of 2018

travis-martin-michiganstate-poetsandquants-classof2018

Travis Martin

Michigan State University, Broad College of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  A service-oriented professional constantly seeking new challenges.

Hometown: Hudsonville, Michigan

Fun Fact About Yourself: I played football and threw the javelin in college.

Undergraduate School and Major:

Undergrad = Hope College (Political Science/Psychology double major)

Graduate= Oakland University (Master of Arts in Teaching)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

Teach for America = Corps Member

Education Achievement Authority of Michigan

  • Social Studies and Science Teacher
  • Social Studies Department Chair
  • Varsity Football and Track and Field Head Coach

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It was working with a large Midwestern furniture retailer to adapt their sales training program to effectively prepare high schoolers to have the requisite skills to succeed in the workforce upon graduation.  Watching my students blossom into young professionals and succeed in summer sales internships was an incredible blessing.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? Coming from a non-business background, it is crucial to frame your experiences so that admissions boards can see you have developed the skills necessary to succeed in their MBA program and beyond.  Be proud of your work record and lean into it. Rather than shying away from my lack of formal business experience, I was able to explain that being a successful teacher in a challenging environment allowed me to demonstrate my project management and communication skills.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? The emphasis that Broad places on collaboration really stood out for me.  Students are assigned a cross-functional team for their entire first year of core classes. Working in these groups on nearly every project pushes you to think, collaborate, and lead in new ways.  This practice creates an exciting, collegial and competitive atmosphere which really appealed to me.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I would like become the CMO for a health or education service company that provides tangible value to consumers.  Every morning that I wake up for work, I want to know that people will see a true benefit in their lives if I can properly market this service and connect to the consumers who need it most.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? Travis really cares about his classmates and wants to do things the right way.  He attacks each day with a passion that rubs off on those around him.

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