How this sports management undergraduate student benefitted from a Master of Science in Management
John Grant completed his undergraduate degree in sports management at the University of Florida in 2010, followed by his Master of Science in Management (MSM) in 2015. After the MSM program, he joined Target as an Engineering and Facilities Operations Manager. In 2018, Grant moved to The Home Depot where he currently is an Outbound Operations Manager.
Q: How did the Master of Science in Management program help you?
Grant: “The MSM program prepared me for life in the real world. I had a full-time job before I started the program, but I wasn’t where I wanted to be yet, and I knew I still had a lot more growing to do. The program exposed me to working with people from all different facets and backgrounds of life, and I learned how to network and meet individuals who I’ve grown to have lifelong relationships with.”
Q: What is your best Warrington memory?
Grant: “My best memory from Warrington comes from my orientation back in the summer of 2014. As part of our orientation we had a team building day where we participated in an obstacle course and each team had to climb ropes and work together to get past every station. At the end we had to zip line our way back down to the bottom of the course. I am someone where at this point of my life I am terrified of heights; not sure how because I used to LOVE roller coasters when I was younger, but hey, it’s my reality now. Taking the plunge and zip lining to the bottom really made me realize how important this program was going to be for me: I was facing my fears and jumping out of my comfortable zone to do something I was afraid to do. It was symbolic of how I much needed to take the same leap in life and get out of what was my norm in order to experience and do things I had never done before. Your biggest growth always comes from times when you’re most uncomfortable.”
Q: Any “life” advice for current Master of Science in Management students?
Grant: “Enjoy your time and make the best of the program! Build those relationships, get close to your professors, peers, and staff in the program, and have fun! I was lucky to be able experience college again when I started the MSM program, but this second time around I knew my purpose and what I had to do. Managing your time is crucial and will be significant in your success in the program. There were days when I would go to work in the morning, go to class, interview for a job I had applied for, head back to Hough to work with classmates on a group project, and still have to go home and study for exams coming up. I learned how to network, I worked with people who I will know for the rest of my life, and I was awarded opportunities now with my career that I wouldn’t have been able to attain had I not went back to school to the MSM program. I am thankful for the opportunity and proud to be a Warrington graduate.”
