Esteemed Alumna and Family Establish Graduate Studies Scholarship to Promote Higher Education Learning Opportunities in Flint

Jennifer (Neiman) Flagel (BBA/MBA, 1997) grew up in Capac, Michigan. Like many first-year students, she didn’t know anyone when she started college at UM-Flint. She drove to campus for class, then left shortly after for home or work.

One day, a classmate invited Flagel to play cards in the University Center (UCEN). In that card group, she met Elizabeth (Becky) Armour Standel (BA, 1996), assistant director of UM-Flint’s Student Success Center. At the time, Standel was working in Student Life and convinced Flagel to apply for an orientation leader position. This invitation sparked a lifelong friendship and Flagel’s successful career in higher education—a journey she is now making possible for others.

“I was never a ‘joiner,’ but working in Student Life exposed me to student government, clubs, Greek life, art gallery exhibits, performing arts, and all sorts of activities that I would not have otherwise participated in,” said Flagel, who is now assistant vice president of enrollment and director of graduate admission at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

“I’ve always loved puzzles and games, and I enjoy jobs where I can exercise those skills daily in a way that has a positive impact on others. Over 25 years in higher education, I have worked in student life, information technology, fundraising and alumni relations, and enrollment. A consistent theme has been helping institutions make better use of their resources—especially technology, people, and data—to make smarter decisions, be more efficient, and improve outcomes.

“I know I could be a successful manager in nearly any industry, but I love the higher education environment. My job provides a great mix of strategy, analytics, marketing, and team work as well as direct interaction with incredibly brilliant students and faculty from whom I am constantly learning. I focus a lot on change management within teams and organizations, so most of my work consists of many incremental successes that, over time, have a major impact. One of the things I like most about enrollment, which involves aligning recruitment and admission strategies with institutional goals and resources, is the role I’m able to play in making higher education accessible to traditionally underserved populations.”

The desire to make education accessible grew out of experiences Flagel had at UM-Flint. Small class sizes allowed her to develop relationships with both classmates and professors, despite being admittedly shy and self-conscious. She found the mix of traditional and nontraditional students from diverse backgrounds to be comforting. Since there wasn’t a specific “type of student at UM-Flint,” she didn’t feel like an outsider. She found it motivating to be among so many students who were working multiple jobs to fund their education, often while balancing the demands of family and parenthood.

UM-Flint also prepared Flagel for the diverse skills and knowledge she would need to be successful in higher education. The Honors Program challenged her to develop exceptional critical thinking and communication skills, and the School of Management taught her the practical application of business concepts and tools in accounting, information systems, operations management, marketing, and human resources. The five years she worked in the University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) department under the mentorship of Vahid Lotfi, Ph.D., professor emeritus of management science, were instrumental in preparing her for success throughout her career.

“You can learn the material almost anywhere, but UM-Flint provided an incredibly robust context for applied learning,” said Flagel. “In addition to texts and classroom instruction, I was learning from the shared stories of my classmates, many of whom were deeply experienced, and of my professors who contributed their own research and expertise as well as their professional network. This prepared me well for my first full-time job where I was tasked with leading the implementation of a new self-service application for the campus, now known as the Student Information System (SIS).

“In under a year, we moved from paper registration and grading to a fully web-based platform. It was a huge accomplishment because it had a highly visible, immediate and lasting impact on nearly every member of the UM-Flint community, and it also effectively launched my professional career.”

Perhaps what Flagel appreciated most about attending UM-Flint was the tremendous opportunity for experiential learning. One of her favorite events was the annual MLK Day of Service, a day off from classes when UM-Flint students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to honor Dr. Martin Luther King by volunteering in the community.

“One year I was assigned to a team that painted murals at a nearby elementary school—something I would never have volunteered for since I am not at all artistic,” laughed Flagel.

As a way of providing support to students and encouraging higher education opportunities at the University dear to her heart, Flagel and her husband, Andrew, started the Flagel Family Graduate Studies Fund. Pictured (left to right) are Andrew, Jennifer, and Joshua Flagel.

Experiences like these continue to impact Flagel in her role as assistant vice president of enrollment and director of graduate admission at Bentley University where she continues to work with a diverse population of graduate students who are striving to advance their own professional opportunities.

“Some of them are struggling to prioritize this investment of time and money over family needs and sometimes their own personal welfare,” said Flagel. “There are few studies of student persistence rates at the graduate level, but many students drop out due to financial issues and limited funding options, especially for part-time students.”

As first-generation college student whose family struggled financially over the years, Flagel can relate.

“UM-Flint’s tuition, supplemented by my Honors Program scholarship, was within my parent’s budget, and I was able to fund my living and personal expenses through my own income, but I was living paycheck to paycheck,” said Flagel. “Any unexpected incident, like major car repairs, would put me under water. I applied for and received a onetime community service scholarship—the only scholarship I could find that was open to graduate students. It was a huge help at that time and left a lasting impression.”

As a way of providing support to students and encouraging higher education opportunities at the university dear to her heart, Flagel and her husband, Andrew, started the Flagel Family Graduate Studies Fund. The Flagels met toward the end of her graduate degree while Andrew was working as director of admissions on the UM-Flint campus. Like Jennifer, he has enjoyed a successful, lifelong career in higher education and is currently president and CEO of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The couple now lives in Arlington, VA, with their son, Joshua.

“Our family hopes this fund will support UM-Flint graduate students who are working hard to better themselves and contribute to their community and who need a little assistance to get there,” said Flagel. “My husband and I have both dedicated our careers to promoting higher learning opportunities, and we take great pride in giving back to the communities in which we’ve studied and worked.

“State funding for public institutions does not go far, and a gift of any amount makes a difference in opportunities for future students. As a major component of college rankings, alumni giving also has a direct impact on the value of your own degree. I’ve made it a goal to make a gift every year, even if just $5 or $10 in some years, to demonstrate to administrators, law makers, and employers the lifetime value UM-Flint provides. The Flagel Family Graduate Studies Fund directs this annual commitment to an area that is underserved and is important to me personally.”

Deeply connected to the campus and community, the Flagels enjoy staying engaged through giving and events (like the SOM Alumni Career Panel) as well as through the personal relationships they have maintained with faculty, staff, and other alumni.

“I recognize that not every graduate had a college experience like mine because each deals with their own personal struggles and ambitions that influence their student journey,” said Flagel. “I hope that every UM-Flint graduate is able to appreciate the tremendous impact this institution has on so many students and on the greater Flint community.

“If there was an aspect where you felt underserved, then step up and offer your time and energy, and possibly funding, to make it better for future students. Know that small, incremental steps have a big impact over time!”

Flagel (second from left) started her lifelong career as an orientation leader at UM-Flint after being encouraged by Elizabeth (Becky) Armour Standel (BA, 1996) (fourth from left) to apply.

THE FLAGEL FAMILY GRADUATE STUDIES FUND SCHOLARSHIP GUIDELINES:

1. Intended for full-time and half-time students pursuing and enrolled in an MBA program.

2. Eligible applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

3. Preference will be given to students who received their undergraduate degree from UM-Flint.

4. Preference will be given to students who are ambassadors for the university and have been involved on campus through student clubs, service learning, or other organizations that move the student body and or campus forward.

5. Scholarship awards will be a minimum of $500 per student and will support tuition, fees and other educational expenses.

6. Scholarships will be awarded through the SOM scholarship committee.

For more information about scholarships at UM-Flint, visit umflint.edu/finaid/

For more information about starting a scholarship fund, contact Melissa Stephens- Farrell at msfarrel@umich.edu.