Student Profiles | Kimberley Sanchez, Leslie Davis & Amber Alacantara

Mother and daughters take educational journey together

The Baker University experience at the Overland Park campus has been a family affair for Kimberley Sanchez and her two daughters, Leslie Davis and Amber Alcantara.

Intrigued after attending an informational meeting about Baker’s programs for working adults, Kimberley and Leslie decided to enroll two years ago at the School of Professional and Graduate Studies Overland Park campus. Leslie wanted to learn more about the bachelor's degree programs and Kimberley was there to support her youngest daughter. While at the meeting, Kimberley received details on the Master of Business Administration program and was hooked immediately. Soon after the coursework began Leslie persuaded her sister, Amber Alcantara, to transfer to Baker and enroll in an associate degree program.

On Saturday, May 15, Leslie received a Bachelor of Science in Management degree at Baker University’s 1 p.m. commencement ceremony before Kimberley walked across the stage after receiving her Master of Business Administration degree at the 4:30 p.m. ceremony. Amber has another class to complete before graduating with an Associate of Arts in Business degree. She plans to participate in the December commencement ceremony.

“We have been looking forward to the commencement ceremonies for a long time,” said Kimberley, a payment specialist at Sprint. “It has been a difficult journey but well worth it.”

While she attended class on Wednesday evenings and studied many other nights, Kimberley sacrificed time away from her husband and son, who often fended for themselves.

“Being the perfectionist that I am, I spent a significant amount of time on homework and projects,” she said. “My husband and son have been very supportive. The team format utilized by Baker is a great benefit as each team member is supported by the others. I learned from my teammates as well as the instructors. This made it much easier to balance all the aspects of my life. Having a good support system made it much easier to succeed in obtaining my MBA.”

With an MBA, Kimberley plans to explore new career opportunities at Sprint.

“My long-range goals are to reach a management position within the Sprint fraud analysis group within the next two years,” she said.

Leslie, a license monitor for a Johnson County Contractor Licensing, also has aspirations after obtaining her bachelor’s degree. She prefers a career in graphic design for a magazine or a job in an advertising or marketing firm.

“Had I not attended the informational meeting with my mother that day two years ago I probably would still be have begun classes for my bachelor’s degree,” said Leslie, a single mother of a young child. “Once again my mother deserves all the credit for encouraging me to do better and be better.”

Leslie had received an associate degree online from another university before enrolling at Baker. It took her awhile to adjust to the weekly class format.

“Going from sitting at home and completing assignments at my own leisure to coming to class every Tuesday and being required to complete class assignments was a little difficult at first,” Leslie said. “Having an instructor and classmates in the same room is extremely helpful.”

Leslie appreciated the Baker instructors keeping the students involved in classroom discussions.

“It took me a while to understand the importance of teamwork and group participation,” she said. “This has helped me in several aspects of my life, including both professional and personal.”

Before transferring to Baker, Amber took online classes at another university. She listened to her sister, who encouraged her to consider Baker.

“My sister mentioned how great it was to be able to attend class in a semitraditional classroom setting and she enjoyed working with a variety of different people,” she said. “I knew that this program would benefit me more in gaining the knowledge I needed to achieve my goal. I felt that attending such a credible university such as Baker was an opportunity that I just could not turn down. I was able to bond and develop relationships with great students and peers.”

Married with a young daughter, Amber also juggled her class schedule with her personal and professional life. She has worked in retail management for more than six years.

After she receives her associate degree, she plans to begin Baker’s Bachelor of Science in Management program.

“Throughout my career I have been looking to increase the variety of work experience,” she said. “However, the one obstacle I encounter is having no degree. This is one of the many reasons that I am attending college at Baker now.”

Student Profile | Morgan Brewster

Baker prepares MBA graduate for expanded role in company

Encouraged by her mentors at GE Energy Services to earn a Master of Business Administration degree to help advance her career and enhance her management skills, Morgan Brewster enrolled at Baker University two years ago.

An inside sales manager at GE Energy Services, Brewster, because of Baker, believes she has better positioned herself for future career endeavors after completing her coursework and interacting with her diverse group of classmates. She was among the nearly 250 MBA students from the University receiving their degrees on Saturday, May 15, during Spring Commencement at the Collins Center.

In her current position, Brewster maintains existing accounts for gas turbine parts in the United States, Canada and Australia. She credited her positive MBA experience at Baker for preparing her to expand her role with her company.

“I enjoyed the learning environment and working with my team the most,” Brewster said. “By working closely with my team at Baker, I learned how to deal with different personalities, which is valuable in the corporate environment.”

Baker’s flexible schedule, accommodating her work and personal life, appealed to Brewster when she decided on the right program for her. Also, the variety of concentrations — marketing, international business, finance, human resources, information systems and accounting — was a benefit to the MBA student.

“I actually changed my concentration to international business from human resources,” she said. “In my current position, I was the global sales manager for my product line. I have an interest in international business because it is very important to the growth of GE. Most of GE’s growth is in international markets.”

After acquiring skills in collaboration and leadership, Brewster is prepared to explore more opportunities in the workplace.

“My short-term career goal is to move into the commercial operations side of GE Energy Services,” she said. “I enjoy dealing with customers and am interested in dealing with complex opportunities. My long-term career goal is to stay with GE and go into marketing or operations.”

Student Profile | Gavin Jeter

Diverse backgrounds enhanced classroom experience

Gavin Jeter looked forward to his weekly classes at Baker University’s Overland Park campus where he was able to interact with other working adults from an array of backgrounds. Among his classmates were an accountant, life insurance salesman and information technology specialist.

“The diversity really enriched the class experience,” said Jeter, a cartography technician for Garmin, “It provided multiple sets of eyes for the same outcome. We all had the same goal, and you can learn from everyone else in the class.”

Jeter joined his classmates Saturday, May 15, at the spring commencement ceremony at the Collins Center in Baldwin City, Kan., where he received a Master of Business Administration degree.

During his two years at Baker, Jeter added to the classroom experience his professional background at Garmin, a leading creator of navigation and communication devices. Jeter works in the marine department, which produces navigational technology such as chart plotters, handheld units, autopilots and communication devices for an international customer base. He focuses on three-dimensional diagrams of land and underwater features.

“It is amazing the 3-D technology that has come out in such a short time,” Jeter said.

Through road trips with his family, Jeter deepened his geographical interests as a child. The Wichita native enjoyed relying on the mile markers found in his atlas to track his journeys, which sparked his career in cartography.

“I grew up with maps and geography,” he said. “I didn’t realize I could major in it until later on. After trying engineering and business, I pursued geography and received an undergraduate degree in 2006.”

While completing his MBA at Baker, Jeter particularly enjoyed studying international business in a global environment.

“Having an opportunity to expand my knowledge is something I enjoy,” Jeter said. “The convenience of night classes and the proximity of campus to my work were a tremendous asset. The MBA program also provided greater insight to how corporations operate.”