Sarah Kurtz McKinnon

My background is a bit different than most business school students: When I was 23 years old, I became the youngest YMCA overnight summer camp director in the country.  I had a lot of responsibility — a huge facility, a large staff and the safety and happiness of more than one thousand kids each summer.  Without a background in business, all of my management skills were developed the fly.  I wanted (and needed!) to get my MBA to help me understand and capitalize on all the lessons I had learned in my career. 

 

Last year, I left the YMCA and started my own business working as a consultant and trainer for camps.  I now travel around the country leading workshops and trainings for professionals in the camping industry.  The Evening MBA program at Ross is the perfect complement to my work.  The schedule is flexible, so I can taper off in my busiest season but load up with an extra course or two when I have more time.  Each class has given me a new set of tools to help my own business and my clients’ businesses succeed.  But what I have been most impressed with so far is the friendships I have formed—my peers in the program are passionate, intelligent and overall very interesting people.  I am so happy that my experience at Ross has provided me with a new foundation of connections that will be important to me for the rest of my life.