Graduation celebration held for FIMBA students

Graduate students from the Full-time Integrated Master of Business Administration (FIMBA) program participated in a graduation celebration at the L. William Seidman Center August 1.

The 12 graduates included Bo Anderson, Allyssia Ashman, Olivia Jelenek, Aaron Lawson, Brenda Lenneman, Ken Pingel, Manuel Rhoades, Nicholas Ullery, Matthew Vander Meer, Andrew Wellman, Emily Wisniewski, and Eric Zaborniak.

During the celebration, Bo Anderson received the Outstanding FIMBA Student Award and Steelcase received the FIMBA Fellowship Partner of the Year Award.

“I chose FIMBA because I wanted to expand my skillset and experience before entering the workforce,” said Anderson. “Receiving my MBA in 14 months, while also completing an internship at Meijer, allowed me to achieve this goal and more. FIMBA helped me to become a more well-rounded student through our international experience and pushed me to work harder than I ever have before in the classroom.”

Olivia Jelenek said: “I was drawn to the program because of the opportunity to further develop my business knowledge as well as the chance to travel internationally. During my time in FIMBA, I worked for Consumers Energy in both strategy and innovation. After graduation, I will be starting a position as a project manager for IBM in Dallas, Texas.”

FIMBA is a 14-month program designed for business students who have recently graduated. Unlike traditional MBA programs, FIMBA is integrated in nature, using the full business cycle as a framework for lesson plans. Each student is guaranteed a paid fellowship which runs parallel with classes. Students also attend the Washington Campus Program in Washington, D.C., and participate in a study abroad experience.

In March, FIMBA students traveled to Vietnam and China to learn about the business and economic growth of those regions. Graduates have already found employment with various companies like IBM, Stryker, Meijer Corp., Spectrum Health and Priority Health.

To learn more about the FIMBA program, click here.