SUMMING IT UP: UHD Is the Place to Be for an MBA

By Laura Wagner

Bobby Stokes has a passion for numbers. After graduating from Texas Southern University in 2016 with majors in Civil Engineering and Mathematics, Stokes worked as a civil engineer. But after five years of managing water and wastewater industry projects, he was ready for a change.

He landed a role as a tax consultant for an international tax consulting firm, and a light bulb went on. “We helped small to medium businesses find tax deductions, and I loved it. But I wanted to go beyond taxes and learn more about how companies make and manage money,” he said.

Stokes knew the next step was an MBA. Friends recommended the Marilyn Davies College of Business (MDCOB). “I have friends in the program and friends who are graduates of the program. They all speak very highly of it,” he said. Add to that the flexibility of online and in-person classes, small class size, and a smooth application and enrollment process, and Stokes was sold.

As a fan of chess and puzzles (Sudoku and Rubik’s Cube, among others), Stokes chose Finance as his concentration because of its focus on using mathematical concepts and analytical tools to make business decisions. It also offered him “the ultimate puzzle.”

“I’ve always liked planning for the future, and finance is all about predicting what the future will look like,” he said. “None of us can truly predict the future but trying to get as close as we can using numbers—that’s fascinating to me.”

Now that he has finished his second semester as an MBA student, Stokes has a great appreciation for the energy and attention his professors bring to graduate classes. “Faculty members like Professor Kurt Stanberry keep you engaged.” As an MBA student coming to the program from a different discipline, Stokes also appreciates the ground-level approach of Assistant Professor Daniel Perez. “He makes sure we understand the fundamentals,” Stokes noted.

Having been both an undergraduate and a working professional, Stokes has an informed perspective on returning to college: “You have to take advantage of all the opportunities the campus offers.” A member of the Financial Management Association, Stokes also was recently voted into the Student Government Association as the MDCOB Graduate Senator.

Taking an active approach to both education and career is a philosophy Stokes shares with students who seek help in the MDCOB Career Center. As a graduate assistant, Stokes assists students with networking, résumé building, and finding internships. “Don’t be passive about your future” is advice he routinely gives, along with, “Nothing is going to fall in your lap or be handed to you. You’re going to get out what you put in.”