Part-Time MBA Student Profile Jon Park
Stress Test Project Manager, Federal Government
City of Residence: Washington, DC
Education: Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Information Systems, Virginia Tech
Jon Park: 00:00
The professors I’ve had at Booth, they challenge you. Then as you get to know them, and you ask them for advice and again, they’re more than willing to challenge you and encourage you. Really, they try to push you to do more. That was actually one thing that I probably wasn’t expecting at first, interacting people here and meeting with them. The questions that they ask are things that I always take back. That’s one really great thing about Booth. Great thing about the Weekend Program is that you get that kind of, you get to just meet that diverse group. You get that flight home where you can just kind of think about it. Maybe when you land, you’re a different person than when you got on.
Jon Park: 00:00
One thing that’s great, especially at the Gleacher Center, is that, with the Weekend Program, the ground floor at a Gleacher Center, in their lobby, is almost like a free market of people and ideas. I’d recommend anyone to just go to their Gleacher Center on a Saturday, between classes or before classes, or during lunch time to see what I’m talking about, just a free flow of ideas is going back and forth in the conversations. And again, it goes back to that intensity. You’re only there for a few hours. Some people come in that day, that morning, and leave that day, so no one takes their time there for granted.
Jon Park: 00:00
I would say after coming to Booth, the way I think, the way I approach problems or the way I just look at anything, whether it’s ideas spoken during a meeting at work or information in a newspaper or research, I approach it differently. I guess my coworkers would probably say whether it’s good or bad, but I definitely question things more now, and I challenge ideas.
Jon Park: 00:25
Being at Booth has changed the way I think about things and the way I tackle problems. And luckily, because of the way Booth’s focuses on foundations and concepts, I’ve been able to apply those concepts and foundations to other areas. It’s not regurgitation, but taking those frameworks and then applying the different situations.
Career Changes While at Booth
I received two promotions, a lateral move, and took on more prestigious work. I received several salary increases as well.
My Advice to Anyone Considering Business School?
Get out of your comfort zone because that is where the magic happens. Entrepreneurship classes help with this a lot.
What Surprised You Most About Booth?
How even more awesome the professors and classmates were than I had originally thought they would be. And I was really surprised at all the opportunities to get involved, too.
Student Group
Booth Social Impact