Janelle Acevedo Maguire

Santa Clara University, Leavey School of Business

“Driven marketing leader passionate about inclusive leadership, innovation, creativity, and empowering women in business.”                             

Age: 26

Hometown: Santa Clara, California

Fun fact about yourself: I started a fitness and wellness club called “Pilates AI Sol.” Pilates AI Sol is an inclusive outdoor workout experience designed to uplift and empower individuals while building community.

Undergraduate School and Degree: San Jose State University, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing concentration, Advertising minor

Where are you currently working? Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Integrated Campaigns Architect

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Earning a promotion to a global program manager while pursuing my MBA was a huge milestone. It validated my professional growth, leadership, and ability to drive impact across global marketing initiatives while balancing a rigorous academic schedule, student leadership roles, and contributing meaningfully as a leader and mentor in the intern program and Women’s Network resource group at HPE.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? Growing up in Santa Clara, I’ve always admired Santa Clara University’s reputation for ethics, innovation, academic excellence, and the proud Bronco alumni community. My goal was to attend graduate school at Santa Clara’s Leavey School of Business. I chose Leavey’s online MBA program not only for its highly ranked career outcomes, academic experience, and post-graduation job success in big tech companies, but also because it would allow me to balance my full-time role at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, continue to grow and thrive as a marketer in tech.

What was your favorite part of an online MBA program? My favorite part of the Leavey MBA program has been the flexibility, which has been essential to my academic schedule, and collaborating with and learning from my professors and peers, who have vast industry experience.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? Compared to my in-person undergraduate experience, this graduate online learning experience offers more autonomy and requires greater discipline and ownership of my progress and success as an individual student. However, the online program is thoughtfully structured to foster peer collaboration and engagement through group projects, discussions, or residencies, giving you a very similar experience to in-person collaboration.

What is your best piece of advice to an applicant for thriving in an online MBA program? My best piece of advice is to build a routine early; stay actively engaged and network with your classmates, professionals, and alumni; and find opportunities to get involved with Santa Clara.

By building your routine early, you’ll set yourself up for success by finding the perfect balance between your academic, professional, and personal responsibilities. Don’t underestimate the power of networking. Build genuine connections with your classmates; you never know where these connections can take you! Getting involved through additional opportunities such as student organizations, programs, and extracurricular activities will help you not only gain more hands-on leadership experience, but also allow you to make lasting connections with like-minded peers. I’ve been involved in the Graduate Women in Business student organization since I started my program, and now I’ve been honored to serve as the President and Co-President in 2024/2025. This opportunity has truly given me the experience to connect with my amazing, motivated peers while elevating the graduate experience by creating an inclusive, empowering community. It’s something I will always remember about my time here at SCU!

How has your online education helped you in your current job? This Leavey MBA has significantly sharpened my strategic thinking, leadership skills, and ability to approach marketing with a broader, cross-functional strategic lens, thus enhancing my impact on my current work.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? Yes, during the program, I received a promotion from Marketing Communications Specialist to Global Program Manager. The MBA equipped me with the practical tools, resources (meeting with a career advisor at the Career Center), and confidence to step into a more strategic marketing role, which is exactly what I wanted to do.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program? I chose to pursue an online MBA instead of a full-time residential program because of the flexibility as it was a key factor in my considerations. I wanted to continue advancing my career while embarking on my graduate business educational journey. The Leavey Online MBA gave me the best of both worlds. I’ve had the opportunity to take in-person courses, which gave me a really good balance across online and evening courses.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? SCU’s program incorporates AI across the business curriculum, specifically technical courses. It also strongly focuses on ethics related to AI, ensuring we understand the significance of AI and the importance of leveraging AI to be a more effective leader while evaluating the advantages and risks of utilizing AI.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: It varies depending on the number of courses, but on average 10-15 hours per week.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal?  My ultimate long-term professional goal is to be an ethical, results-driven marketing executive championing innovation and driving meaningful impact in the technology industry while pursuing my passion for community impact and empowering the next generation of leaders through volunteerism.

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