Brothers motivate each other through MBA program

Overland Park, Kan. — While attending weekly classes from January 2013 through December 2014, the Quinn brothers relied on each other for inspiration to earn a Master of Business Administration degree from Baker University.

John and Ryan Quinn completed 43 credit hours at Baker’s Overland Park campus, 7301 College Blvd. On Sunday, the brothers will be among 140 MBA graduates honored during a commencement ceremony at the Collins Center on the Baldwin City campus. Ryan (on left in photo) took the first step in applying to Baker’s program, attending an information meeting two years ago. The more John heard about the coursework the more he wanted to join his sibling.

“I had people in my life that really encouraged me to keep up the hard work and to remember my potential,” said Ryan, 27, a corporate treasury analyst. “My parents and my girlfriend, Monica, never let me forget the end goal. My brother also played a large role in motivating me throughout this program. Having my brother, John, by my side to challenge and encourage me to complete a paper, complete an assignment, or complete a course really is what made pursuing an MBA tolerable when at times it seemed unattainable.”

John, 30, echoed the sentiments of his younger brother.

“I think that we were able to motivate each other through the duration of the program,” recalled John, a credit analyst at UMB Bank. “Also, every day that we would walk into the building I noticed a picture near the entrance of a professor leading the graduates at commencement. That really motivated me.”

During the 13-course program, the Quinns routinely bounced ideas off each other while working on assignments.

“We were able to help each other when one needed it, and we were able to play off of each other’s strengths as well,” said Ryan, who has an undergraduate degree in finance. “We knew what our strong points were and we took advantage of that when it came to constructive criticism and critiquing one another’s papers or projects.”

The brothers found the coursework intriguing. Baker’s MBA curriculum includes courses in organizational management, human resource management, business statistics, legal environment, accounting, marketing, innovative business thinking, leadership and strategic planning.

“I found the innovative business thinking course and the marketing course the most memorable,” Ryan said. “These two courses made you reassess your thought pattern and really made you question your decisions, which really carried over to my career.”

With his background in the financial industry, John valued the courses pertaining to economics, accounting and finance. He also enjoyed the interactive portion of his human resources program.

John believes the MBA will give him an edge as he continues to advance his career.

“If I am applying for the same position as someone who does not have a master’s, hopefully the MBA will give me a leg up on the competition,” he explains.

Ryan, too, is a strong believer in lifelong learning.

“Higher education and continued learning are what helps makes you grow as a business professional,” Ryan said. “I hope to grow into a management position within the next few years. I believe having an MBA will help open doors toward new projects and opportunities.”