Andrew Edwards, MBA ‘23, had recently completed his undergraduate business degree at a local university while working as a chef in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, when the COVID pandemic hit, and his job prospects seemingly dried up. While graduate school was always part of his larger plan, now was a good time as any to get started.
Edwards, who has a passion for economics, was drawn to George Mason University for its prestigious faculty. “When I was doing my research, Dr. Walter Williams’s name kept coming up, and he’s an economist whose work I loved,” he says. In addition to the late Dr. Williams, Edwards was impressed to learn that George Mason also had two Nobel laureates in economics—Vernon Smith and the late James Buchanan.
The overall reputation of the Costello College of Business and its accreditations, including the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation, were the other deciding factors for him. He has found that his decision to get his MBA at the Costello College of Business has truly paid off, helping him quickly get hired at a brand-new job with a significantly higher salary.
Edwards’s MBA classes were instrumental not only in the material they covered but in how they helped him approach projects and solve problems. “You have to collaborate so often, and you know your group or team will switch every class,” he says. “And so, you get very comfortable working in groups and teams. And that was something that was beneficial across the program.” Despite completing the MBA online as an out-of-state student, he was able to build connections and friendships with his classmates and professors. He still stays in touch with five of his professors.
When Edwards graduated from the MBA program, he also received the business analytics graduate certificate at the same time. “I had the option to take the courses for the certificate as my electives, and so I seized that opportunity,” he says. The certificate was another big boost since he is now a sales analyst for Varsity Spirit, a global leader in cheerleading, dance team and band apparel, camps and competitions, and yearbook.
All the collaboration and teamwork helped him acclimate to his new responsibilities and team at Varsity Spirit. “There’s this kind of interplay connectivity of how we all strengthen each other’s different skillsets,” he says. “One of my favorite parts of working at Varsity Spirit is being part of an amazing team.” This time of year, he’s occupied with creating dashboards, ad hoc analyses, and building reports for the next competitive season. “Every data set has a story to tell,” he says. Another fun aspect of working at Varsity Spirit is talking all things George Mason with fellow alum and company president Bill Seely, BS Sports Management ‘91. “I’m only the second person at our corporate office who went to George Mason, so I think that’s pretty cool,” says Edwards.
Edwards’s academic journey at George Mason is not yet complete. He’s enrolled in another master's program—economics—the area that originally got him interested in the university. He also sees a PhD program at George Mason in his future. As one of the few members of his family with an undergraduate degree, these master’s degrees were not paths he had always considered. However, graduating from the MBA program instilled in Edwards a great deal of confidence that he has what it takes to push further in his education and career. “My confidence level after going through this rigorous program is just way more than it used to be,” he says. With newfound confidence and the skills to back it up, Edwards is excited to keep chasing his dreams.