Balancing Life’s Biggest Milestones While Earning an EMBA

For Melanie Minder, balancing demanding career changes, major life milestones, and rigorous Executive MBA coursework was no small feat. A 2022 graduate of the EMBA program and Finance Manager, FP&A, at Gordon Food Service, Melanie Minder navigated new jobs, buying a new home, and getting married — all while earning her degree. The teamwork and collaboration fostered by the EMBA experience were two key contributors to her success.

The EMBA program is built around team-based learning. For the duration of the program, students work in strategically assembled teams of four to six individuals. This creates a close network of accomplished professionals balancing their knowledge and diverse perspectives. By leveraging their teammates’ strengths and experiences, students gain new real-world insights. This collaboration played a crucial role in helping Melanie navigate her life changes while excelling personally and professionally.

“The team dynamic is what makes this achievable no matter what life throws your way, and I’m incredibly thankful for their support,” Melanie said. “While the coursework added to my mental load during these changes, it also provided a sense of consistency and purpose.”

The teams are made to mirror the actual business world to help students develop and enhance their skills in negotiation, communication, and collaboration. This structure is what gave Melanie stability and support during a time of significant transition. She wasn’t just taking classes; she was joining a transformative program. It allowed her to strengthen existing skills in a reliable, systematic way while learning from her team’s expertise.

“The program built a strong network of colleagues from diverse industries, backgrounds, and levels of experience while providing countless personal and leadership development opportunities,” Melanie said. “[I learned] to better speak the language of other parts of business and understand their perspective when working towards a common goal”.

For Melanie, earning an EMBA during significant life changes was not only possible but rewarding. The program’s design supports busy professionals, helping them balance career growth with personal milestones.