MSTC
Meet the MSTC Student Ambassadors
Connect with recent graduates and current MSTC students who can answer questions about their experience at Texas McCombs, balancing work and grad school and life in the program. Student ambassadors don't address admissions questions but can share their personal experiences as a student.
Student Ambassadors
Meet Andre
- Hometown: Quito, Ecuador and Austin, TX
- Undergraduate Institution: Trinity University
- Undergraduate Major: B.A with a focus on Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Years of work experience: 10 years of experience in product management, product development, CPG, and AI chatbot architecture. A pivoted in recent years to entrepreneurship and practice in starting businesses.
- “The MSTC program is the perfect fit for my background in tech, business, and entrepreneurship. While I explored MBA options, this program was the only one that aligned with my career goals and provided the specific framework I was looking for.“
Meet Dennis
- Hometown: Buffalo, NY
- Undergraduate Institution: University of North Texas
- Undergraduate Major: B.B.A in Business Analytics
- Years of work experience: 10 years of experience working in tech as a product manager and two time founder. The products he has brought to market have either been in the B2B SaaS, more focused on federal customers or on the consumer side in the wellness/sports space.
- “I chose MSTC because I was looking for a graduate MBA-like program whose core outcome was not “consultant.” I also needed a program that would allow me to work full time. MSTC let me simultaneously build real entrepreneurial skills like customer discovery, fundraising, and go-to-market strategy while also strengthening my corporate marketability through a UT McCombs credential and a powerful alumni network. It was the rare program that let me de-risk the future of my young family without having to choose between the startup path and career advancement. Additionally, my spouse is a PhD candidate at UT, my kids are in daycare at UT, and I really felt left out.“
Meet John
- Hometown: Lagos Nigeria & Houston, Texas
- Undergraduate Institution: Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
- Undergraduate Major: Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology
- Years of work experience: 7+ Years, Product Leader, FinTech. As a Product Leader in fintech, he built and commercialized scalable products and platforms that solve real financial problems, working at the intersection of technology, strategy, and user needs.
- “I wanted a practical program that would allow me to continue gaining work experience while earning a top-notch degree. I found MSTC to be the perfect balance. The program brings together accomplished classmates and faculty who challenge you to grow to the next level as a corporate innovator or founder.“
Meet Michele
- Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ
- Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at Austin
- Undergraduate Major: B.A in Government (Political Science) with a minor in Business Foundations
- Years of work experience: Early-career professional with experience in legal, policy, and technology startup environments
- “The MSTC program stood out to me because it’s hands-on and practical, giving students the opportunity to work on real projects while learning how technologies move from concept to market.”
Meet Ryan
- Hometown: Saint Paul, MN
- Undergraduate Institution: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
- Undergraduate Major: Economics
- Years of work experience: 6 years of experience in medical device sales, where he worked closely with cross-functional teams, customers, and technical stakeholders to solve complex problems and deliver value.
- “MSTC stood out for its hands-on, real-world approach to taking technologies from concept to market. The curriculum’s focus on venture creation, product development, commercialization strategy, and customer validation aligned closely with my background in entrepreneurship and medical device sales, making it a strong fit for my pivot into product management.”
Meet Tiffany
- Hometown: Arlington, Texas, home of the Texas Rangers.
- Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at Arlington.
- Undergraduate Major: BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Years of work experience: 24 years in IT across healthcare, energy, military retail, and technology. Her experience spans network operations, enterprise infrastructure, military Exchange retail partner and EDI support, end user support, Microsoft licensing, online and on-prem systems engineering, and program and project management, with stops along the way in some of the largest corporations in their respective industries.
- “I chose MSTC because I wanted to advance my career without putting my life on hold. My elevator pitch is simple: I did not want my experience to outpace my education. When I found MSTC it seemed perfect. Every two weeks, set classes, one year, and less than half the time and cost of an MBA were the deciding factors in reframing graduate school from a heavy load to something manageable. The ability to immediately apply what I am learning to my professional life has been remarkable. MSTC transformed my career from day one.“
Alumni Ambassadors
Meet Christianna
- Hometown: Carlisle, PA
- Undergraduate Institution:
- Undergraduate Major: BA in Communications
- Years of work experience: 20 years / 4 years as an Active Duty U.S. Army Officer and 16 years of corporate industry experience
- “The MSTC program offers its students many unique benefits and opportunities, and being a student ambassador allows me to share those insights so forward-looking students can make informed decisions about their academic future.”
Meet Sean
- Hometown: Houston, TX
- Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at San Antonio
- Undergraduate Major: Communications
- Years of work experience: 20, primarily in Financial Technology and most recently as a Director of Product Management
- “I have a passion for bringing new products to market, and the MSTC program has been instrumental in building my foundation for success.”