How this Master of International Business and marketing alumna benefitted from a combination degree
Chloe Beaver completed her BSBA and Master of International Business (MIB) in 2020. She recently moved on to her full-time role as a BLP Global Sales Associate with LinkedIn.
Beaver shares about her experience as a combination degree student in the Hough Graduate School of Business, her campus involvement and advice for other students interested in a combination degree program.
Q: Tell us about yourself and how you came to the combination MIB program.
Beaver: “Since freshman year of college, I had been pursuing a dual degree in marketing and psychology. Going through the business school, I found the intersect between the two areas particularly interesting. Marketing is essentially the psychology of business, and I loved being able to apply my psychology knowledge to consumer behavior in marketing. Unfortunately, due to scheduling complications I couldn’t graduate with the psychology degree, however what I learned going through those classes was so valuable. With family that lives across the world, I have always been driven to travel internationally, and my family has instilled the importance of learning and experiencing other cultures from a young age. My dream is to be able to work abroad in marketing or consumer behavior, and I felt that the MIB program was a great way to learn deeper about my values and set myself up to be able to chase those dreams.”
Q: Tell us about your experience at the Hough Graduate School as a combination degree student.
Beaver: “For me, the transition from Heavener to Hough was seamless. Taking the opportunity to pursue a master’s at the same time as a bachelor’s seemed like a no-brainer, and I spent most of my time each day bouncing between the two buildings. The professors and advisors within the Hough Graduate School were unmatched. Once admitted, we were immediately given so many resources to help us personally and professionally, with faculty that genuinely cared about us and remembered the little things about each student. This made Hough feel so welcoming and gave us all the confidence that we would be able to succeed professionally. The reason I was able to receive my full-time offer was because of my incredible Graduate CAP Mentor, who I visited almost every week. Furthermore, the professors that I had throughout the Hough Graduate School were some of the most intelligent people I have ever met, and I appreciated being able to learn about both broad and niche topics of my choice from highly accomplished professors.”
Q: What are the on-campus activities you took part in as an undergraduate student?
Beaver: “As an undergraduate student, most of my involvement took place within the Warrington College of Business. I was a member of UF’s International Case Competition Team and competed in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and the Netherlands to help make UF one of the top case teams in the world. I also helped teach the Business Case Analysis Course and trained the next generation of team members. Furthermore, I was a Warrington Diplomat and was also part of the Advisory Board for the Florida Leadership Academy after being a mentee and a mentor in previous years. During my senior year, I was the co-founder and President of Warrington Goes Green, the college’s first organization focusing on sustainability. Throughout my time in the business school I was also involved with the Business Undergraduate Mentorship Program, the Heavener Leadership Challenge and a TA for Dr. Sevilla’s Emergent Leadership course. Outside of the business school, I was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and served as the Director of Membership Selection and on the Standards Board.”
Q: Tell us more about Warrington Goes Green.
Beaver: “Warrington Goes Green is the first organization within the college that bridges the gap between environmental sustainability and business. Our goal is to send every business student into the workforce with the knowledge and tools to act in a sustainable way as an individual, an employee and as a driving force in whatever organization they pursue post-graduation. We do this by bringing in guest speakers such as Alachua County Recycling, P&G sustainability teams, climate change experts and more. We also incorporate a hands-on activity to show students how to act in a sustainable way, such as DIY toothpaste, tie-dying, make-your-own plant holders, vegan potlucks and more. With a team of 10 motivated women, we have seen an overwhelming number of students interested in this cause, which has propelled us forward with incredible success.”
Beaver: “My advice to undergraduate students is to use your resources! Having the ability to pursue a master’s degree at the same time as a bachelor’s degree is an amazing resource that most other schools don’t offer. Once in the combination degree program, it is imperative to use those resources as well. The faculty, advisors and professors have so much valuable knowledge and contacts that will allow you to follow your highest dreams. The organizations and mentors that the MIB and undergraduate programs provide can equip you with everything you need to reach your definition of success. Personally, I wouldn’t have received my full-time offer without the support of every organization I was involved with and my incredible Graduate CAP Mentor. So, get that combination degree, get involved, use your resources and achieve your dreams!”
Q: Where do you see yourself five years from today?
Beaver: “My post-graduate plans involve moving to Chicago for my full-time role as a BLP Global Sales Associate with LinkedIn. Five years from today, I see myself pursuing leadership roles within the company in either sales or marketing. However, I am a very go-with-the-flow person when it comes to my future, and I know that wherever I am in five years will be a result of pursuing happiness in the same way I am pursuing happiness today. I also would love to live and work abroad as an expat (Asia would be the coolest, thanks to the MIB GIE trip to Malaysia!) to study consumer behavior in other cultures.”
Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
Beaver: “A fun fact about me is that I have jumped off the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere! (The Sky Tower Jump in Auckland, New Zealand during a case competition.)”
