Erin Collin

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“I meet challenges with creativity and innovation, strive for positive impact, and fight for my beliefs.”

Hometown: Novi, Michigan

Fun Fact About Yourself: I volunteer with an animal rescue and have successfully fostered and adopted-out 17 animals.

Undergraduate School and Major: Miami University, B.A. Zoology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: University of Michigan, Laboratory Business Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: After leaving my full-time position with Banfield Pet Hospital (a corporate hospital owned by Mars, Inc), I created the part-time position, unique to our hospital that focused on community outreach. I saw the need to strengthen our hospital’s relationship within the community—which often viewed the hospital as a very “corporate” entity—and I knew I possessed the skills necessary to build the community relationships that would make this happen. I generated a proposal outlining what I would accomplish and asked my practice manager for a six-month trial period. She agreed, and after the initial six months, I had not only met but exceeded all of my goals. This was a position I held for the next three years until I left to start the Fisher MBA program. During this time, I secured an annual sponsorship for the local humane society, established multiple partnerships with local animal rescues, and hosted numerous drives to support local animal charities. By identifying a need and considering what I could do to help, I was able to develop a creative solution that allowed our hospital to improve its image within the community, and generate new customers.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Incredibly supportive: There’s not a single person in my class I would hesitate to go up to and ask for help. We’re a tight-knit group, and I see people going out of their way to assist classmates on a daily basis. The MBA program is both rigorous and stressful, but having a group of people who you know you can rely on—whether it’s to get help understanding class material, preparing for an interview, or to vent for a minute—has made everything very manageable. The support I receive and comradery I feel with my classmates has made even the most challenging aspects of the MBA program very manageable.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? A key factor in my decision was the opportunity to work in a Graduate Assistant position with Ohio State’s Global Water Institute (GWI).  The GWI is working to deliver clean water sustainably to areas of rural Tanzania, while also seeking solutions to assist in disease surveillance and epidemic outbreak identification. It was a position that presented a unique opportunity to tie together my passion for social impact and my background in the sciences, while also gaining real-life business experience. Before entering the MBA program, I was concerned about how I would pivot into the business world (where I felt I had no relevant experience), and utilize my previous experience (which felt very unrelated) in a new career. Work with the GWI seemed like (and has been) an incredible experiential learning opportunity that I knew I wouldn’t find at another school. In general, Fisher College of Business offers more opportunities for Graduate Assistant positions than any other school I looked at, and as someone who came from a non-business field, the opportunity for additional experiential learning was very valuable to me.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Recently, I was elected as Vice President of the 2020 MBA class, and I’m thrilled by the opportunity to contribute to the continued growth and development of the program, and to assist in continuous improvements that will impact not only my classmates but future Fisher students as well. Particularly during such a pivotal time in Fisher’s history—with a redesigned MBA curriculum—involvement with the council allows me to ensure that the voice of my peers is heard, and to help develop and implement innovative ideas that will only strengthen an already phenomenal program.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I pursued Zoology in undergrad because I had a great passion for animals and the environment, and I wanted to be able to make a positive impact; it felt like a natural path to choose. After graduation, as I moved through my career, I realized how many opportunities there were to make a positive impact in the world—and particularly in my areas of interest—through different areas of business. I also realized how many of my strengths and personality traits aligned with a position in business as opposed to one in research. I saw how my background in the sciences could be combined with an MBA to make a positive impact in the areas I am so passionate about.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? While a Bachelor’s degree in the biological sciences is a great degree, the reality is that to continue to advance in your career, additional education is essential. I knew that I was looking at a Master’s degree, and very possibly a Ph.D. if I wanted to continue down that career path. However, after spending three years working in a gastrointestinal stem cell lab, I knew I didn’t want to pursue a life-long career in research. The MBA program was the best opportunity to pivot into a career that I felt would make me happy, give me the opportunity to explore different career options, and would most assuredly provide a strong ROI.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

University of Michigan, Ross and SEAS, MBA/MS dual degree

Duke University, Fuqua and Nicholas, MBA/MEM dual degree

Northwestern University, Kellogg

Emory University, Goizueta

Vanderbilt University, Owen

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The fit was the biggest priority for me. I wanted to fit into the culture and ideals of the school, and I knew I wanted to be in a place where there would be plenty of resources, and where I wouldn’t feel lost in the crowd. I loved Fisher’s small class size, and talking with current students I was struck by the amount of individualized attention they felt they received from both professors and different graduate school resources, particularly the Office of Career Management. Clearly, it was also a collaborative culture, which attracted me. My interview at Fisher felt very conversational—it was clear that finding students who would fit the program was very important in the selection process; intellectual ability alone wasn’t going to cut it. I also loved that I got to meet with a career advisor that day, and discuss what I was looking for, and what resources Fisher would be able to offer to help meet my goals.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I don’t think I had a single defining moment, but rather a series of events throughout my life that have helped to define who I am and what drives me. All of these most impactful moments have been centered around being able to make a truly positive impact on the lives of those around me, or on the understanding that someone else’s actions have had a positive impact on me. It’s these moments that have driven me to focus on involvement with organizations such as animal rescue organizations, student council, and Fisher Board Fellows (FBF), and to seek a career that will allow me to utilize my skills to make a positive impact in my community, and hopefully the world at large.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I’m focusing on brand management and strategy, and am particularly excited for the data analytics aspects that are involved in both. I hope to work for a company that either has some level of social impact focus or that allows me to utilize my passion and previous work with animals and science; ideally, I’ll work for a company that does both.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Working for a company I love and whose mission I believe in, and utilizing business as a force for positive change.