Kevin Peña

“Marine veteran, strategy-driven, lifelong learner, fostering impact through leadership, curiosity, and grit”

Hometown: Kasson, MN

Fun Fact About Yourself: Undergraduate School and Major: San Diego State University – Fowler School of Business; B.S. in Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Wind Turbine Technician – Vestas

What has been your favorite part of the Twin Cities so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA?

Personally, having grown up in rural southeastern Minnesota and being stationed near San Diego, CA for 5 years, the Twin Cities provides the entertainment of a large city with the warmth of a small town – something we need plenty of during the winter.

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?

Funds is the plan! I am excited to develop an in-depth understanding of capital markets, improve my financial modeling skills, as well as gain a rich understanding of the asset management world through a class that includes a trip to London! Fish and chips will be enjoyed.

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?

For me, it was the emphasis on global learning. During my time in the military, having worked in a team that regularly interacted with partnerships/alliances around the globe truly showed me the importance of being able to navigate cultural differences and knowing how to articulate your thoughts in a way that makes sense to everyone listening. Having experiences abroad will not only strengthen interpersonal skills but hopefully build connections in an increasingly interconnected world.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

I certainly can’t think of a biggest – but maybe the most profound one recently was a Marine of mine who reached out on Veterans Day. He had mentioned he completed his associate’s degree before he left the service and is currently studying at UCSD and thanked me for giving him the knowledge and resources to get him started on his academic journey. Having that sort of positive impact on someone’s life is one of the ways I find my purpose – and I certainly intend to keep that going!

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far:

Winning an in-house case competition at Seagate HQ! Aside from having such an insightful opportunity to hear from Seagate leaders, it showed me how talented Carlson students are – MBAs and undergraduates alike.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far?

I would have to say (aside from TAPS, right?) that the “Casegiving” event hosted by the Carlson Consulting Club has been my favorite memory so far. I was nervous at the fact of going through three cases in one day, but by the end of the third one, I could certainly feel that I had become a better business problem-solver than I was at the start of the day.