Patrick Hines

University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

“I love learning and I have always been curious about the world.”

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Fun Fact About Yourself: I performed in a 60-concert North American tour of music from Star Wars where Anthony Daniels (the actor who played C-3PO in the films) was the host. This concert has let me visit almost every state in the country.

Undergraduate School and Major: Bachelor of Music – Temple University; Master of Music – Yale University; Doctor of Musical Arts – University of Wisconsin Madison

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: University of Wisconsin-Madison; Teaching Assistant

What has been your favorite part of the Twin Cities so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA? What I like the most about the Twin Cities is that there is no shortage of Fortune 500 companies. With such a wide range of choices, it can sometimes feel hard to pin down where exactly I want to focus my energies. Additionally, I have also enjoyed how pleasant and friendly everyone is when it comes to reaching out and having coffee chats. Because of the strong Carlson School network, it always feels like I am talking with a longtime friend! Companies aside, I also love the infinite restaurant options here. There is always a new place to try!

Carlson MBA spend a year in hands-on Enterprise programs for Consulting, Branding, Ventures, and Funds. Which program do you intend to enroll in? What excites most about your Enterprise program? I will be joining the Carlson Consulting Enterprise (CCE). I have always been a curious person who wants to seek the why and how and everything. I now finally get to put this in practice with the projects I will be taking part in with CCE.

Aside from your classmates, experiential learning, and location, what was the key part of the Carlson MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? What I like the most about the Carlson School MBA program is the small class size. Because of my career as an orchestral French horn player, I feel like I thrive and am the happiest in environments that are small sizes. My current MBA class is about 90 students, which is more or less the same size as a standard symphony orchestra. I want a place where I know everyone’s name and can strike up a conversation with anyone. This is what I get at the Carlson School.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Carlson? The course I have enjoyed the most so far at the Carlson School has been Helen Moser’s Financial Management course. I came to business school with no experience of the subject. However, Helen’s patience, bright personality, and effective teaching have not only made me interested in finance but have also given me the confidence that I have what it takes to succeed.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest accomplishment of my career has been living in China for five years where I played French horn in the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra. I have always wanted to experience living in a different country and do something not everyone is doing. I am forever grateful to have experienced the thrills, challenges, and lifelong relationships that have come with living abroad.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: My biggest accomplishment so far as an MBA student has been leading a virtual session for the 2021 ROMBA conference. Going from the orchestra world to the MBA world is no small leap. I felt like I had to jump straight into the deep end. What better way to do this than moderate a session at an MBA conference! Not only did I leave a positive impression and inspire people from the session I moderated, but I also had a lot of fun!

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Carlson MBA program? I truly believe that everyone has some sort of differentiating characteristic or experience. My advice would be to lean into this as much as you can. In business school, it is very easy to reduce yourself to an imaginary common level of personhood. Do not fall into this trap!