TMMBA Program with a New Born

Mike Kennewick,  TMMBA Class of 2013 

On October 18, 2011 my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our first child.  The TMMBA program started in December of 2011.  When I started my daughter was just 6 weeks old.  Everyone thought that I was crazy.  I was.

Ignorance was bliss for a while and then I woke up.  Not just in the middle of the night to check on the baby but also to the fact that I had a lot of work to do. Attending a masters program and working full time was no easy task.  It was difficult at first but I managed.  Over time I was able to get into a rhythm and things became much better.   There were several reasons for this:

  1. My Wife.  She was on board with the program from the start and really helped pickup the slack when I needed it.  It could not have been easy for her.
  2. A great TMMBA team.  Each person was committed, reliable and organized.  This meant that I could schedule really well.  We also reviewed assignment due dates which helped make sure nothing fell through the cracks.
  3. The TMMBA staff.  Books were ordered for us, the web portal was up to date and assignment due dates were coordinated between classes to avoid too much overlap.
  4. Flexibility at Work.  I wasn’t able to put in the same ridiculous hours I was before but others graciously helped out or stayed late when I had to leave.   I also learned to focus on productivity to get more done in less time.
  5. Learning Curve.  It is impossible to do everything.  Overtime I got much better at identifying the right areas to focus on and where to spend my time to maximize my experience at TMMBA.

Balancing work, school and family was difficult, but also incredibly rewarding.  Over the past 15 months I learned many new things that are helping me personally and professionally: what risk is in finance, transformational leadership, and how to give a killer 5 minute pitch.  I never would have learned these things otherwise.  I’ve also been lucky to have met many incredible people along the way.  Each day I am impressed with my classmates for their enthusiasm, the faculty for their unique perspectives and the TMMBA staff for their dedication.  With just 12 sessions left I am both relieved and sad that the journey is coming to an end.

So the real question is: Would I do it all over again knowing what I know now?  Absolutely!  The TMMBA has changed my life forever exceeding all my expectations.  What next?  Maybe Disneyland.

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