KD Journal Profile: Brett Diehl

Headshots of Kelley Direct Online MBA KD Online students were taken during Kelley On Campus, formerly Kelley Connect Week, which took place from August 3-11, 2021. These headshots were taken on August 10, 2021.

Hometown:

Catawissa, Missouri – a super-small town near St. Louis that isn’t really a town because there is not much there besides a post office. 

Fun Fact About Yourself:

I’m a big 80’s music fan!

Undergraduate School and Major:

Missouri State University, Economics 

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:  

U.S. Army; Operations Officer (Major)

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of KD programming that led you to choose this business school, and why was it so important to you?

One of the main things I was looking for was a program that was as respected as some of the best in-person programs in the country. I wasn’t located in an area with exceptional universities and couldn’t leave my job yet, but wanted to get started. This meant that I could either settle for a substandard MBA program or I could pursue an online MBA. I didn’t want to settle and still wanted something that would challenge me and would be respected as I changed careers. Kelley provided this and then some. Its professors, curriculum, and in-person elements easily rank at the top of any university ranking, in-person or online.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Kelley?

I loved the Kelley on Campus week! Getting to see everyone that you’ve only met virtually in your classes is a lot of fun. Plus, the case competition was a great professional development opportunity and an exciting challenge. I’m looking forward to the next in-person event!

What other MBA programs did you apply to? 

None. I didn’t really apply to MBA programs like I did for undergraduate programs. I applied to several universities for my undergrad and then decided on the one I liked best. For my MBA, I just found the one I liked the best and went with it. Part of it is probably that I also didn’t have a lot of free time to spend on applications. So, why waste it on my second and third choices?

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into KD’s MBA program?

My strategy was focused on showing how I’ve been successful in the past and how I would be successful in the future (both during the program and after). You could show that with some specific achievements, positions, or even events that demonstrate a key character trait of yours. Then just make the case that these same traits that made you successful in the past will continue to do so.