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Building Connections: How ��app's Master of Accounting Program Supports Next-Generation Professionals

ag64@calvin.edu — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:24:35 +0000

Building Connections: How ��app's Master of Accounting Program Supports Next-Generation Professionals ag64@calvin.edu Thu, 10/31/2024 - 08:24

��app graduates often talk about an alumni network, an informally structured, yet remarkably tight-knit and well-connected global community that support each other and give back to their alma mater. In 2020, Master of Accounting (MAcc) program director Marilyn Stansbury and alum Aart Boterenbrood capitalized on that unique network with the launch of a mentoring program for MAcc students.

The program augments a MAcc degree designed not only to prepare students with essential accounting principles and skills, but to also help them develop a comprehensive understanding of their chosen profession.

New mentors receive a list of potential ways to support their mentee, including sharing experiences, directing mentees to valuable professional resources, and assisting a mentee with career growth. Stansbury emphasizes the reciprocal nature of the mentor-mentee relationship and says the program is designed to be self-directed, not prescriptive.

Assurance manager at Chicago firm Plante Moran and 2017 graduate Cameron Earnshaw served as one of nine mentors in the program’s inaugural cohort. He says he immediately saw the value of having a field guide during the transition from student to professional life.

“When I was going through that period, it was truly one of the more stressful times of my life,” Earnshaw says. “I could have used someone as a mentor to help me work through the process.”

He still stays in close touch with his first mentee, Owen Brookhouse, also a resident of Chicago. Similar in age, Brookhouse’s experiences were fresh in Earnshaw’s memory. “I could see myself in Owen—moving to Chicago, starting a new job, studying for the CPA exam. Although a couple of years apart, we were still going through the same stage of life and had a lot of shared experiences.”

As a student, Brookhouse says he valued the MAcc program’s emphasis on collaboration and ethics. “I love how the program stressed collaboration with peers and wasn't solely focused on memorizing information. Thinking deeply was a daily part of the program,” he explains. “Being able to discuss ethical quandaries as Christians is something that you can't get at other programs. I honestly think that the students leaving ��app's MAcc program are equipped with the tools to change organizations for the better.”

For Brookhouse, a key aspect of being equipped beyond the classroom involved the mentoring relationship. Brookhouse felt comfortable bouncing questions off Earnshaw, who helped him navigate the day-to-day challenges of being a professional newcomer. “I would ask him about how to communicate with the people above me or about general questions with auditing,” Brookhouse says.

Earnshaw believes the unique pressures of the accounting profession make the mentor-mentee relationship especially valuable. Long hours and tight deadlines during tax season make establishing a healthy work-life balance challenging, for example. Problem-solving with clients navigating difficult financial situations adds pressure, too.

Six years into his own career and now in a management position, Earnshaw says he enjoys passing on the tips, tricks, and wisdom he has learned along the way. He sees the value of listening well and being able to say, “This is what I would do in that situation.”

Now in its fourth year, the program continues to thrive—Earnshaw now represents one of a group of more than 20 mentors paired with 50 mentees for the upcoming academic year.

“It’s amazing to see the level of commitment and dedication from ��app’s accounting alumni as they give through the mentor program and many other ways. Such contributions are impactful and influential in helping our students to become agents of renewal in the world,” says Stansbury, who has been thrilled to see many mentoring relationships extend beyond the one-year commitment.

Earnshaw and Brookhouse say the experience has felt rewarding to them both—they still talk regularly and play club volleyball together once a week. What began as a mentor-mentee relationship has grown into a friendship rooted in common interests and shared experiences.

Thu, 10/31/2024 - 12:00

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A MAcc advisory board member meets with a current student at the 2024 kickoff event.

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Redesigned Master of Business Administration Focuses on Strategic Leadership and Innovation

ag64@calvin.edu — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:38:06 +0000

Redesigned Master of Business Administration Focuses on Strategic Leadership and Innovation ag64@calvin.edu Mon, 10/21/2024 - 16:38

The ��app School of Business announces its new, redesigned faith-based Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused on strategic leadership and innovation to meet the needs of today’s professionals who are ready to accelerate their careers.

��app School of Business faculty, staff, students, and alumni used a human-centered design process throughout 2023 to interview nearly 100 business leaders and prospective MBA students to guide the redesign of the program.

“The MBA program is tailored to equip future leaders with the skills needed to thrive in today’s ever-evolving marketplace,” said Jim Ludema, Dean, ��app School of Business. “It’s ideal for individuals seeking to transition from an individual contributor role to leadership positions, whether in a business, engineering, health care, education or other professions. No matter the industry, the program prepares students to become successful leaders in their organizations and communities.”

The MBA includes four pillars to ensure the program depth and breadth learners are looking for in an advanced degree:

Pillar 1 – Business Essentials
Students take a block of courses in accounting, finance, marketing, and operations and supply chain management to set the stage for advanced courses in leadership, innovation and strategy.

Pillar 2 – Leadership
Students take a block of leadership courses which help them develop as faithful leaders of high-performing teams and organizations.

Pillar 3 – Innovation
Students take a block of courses focused on strategy and innovation to help them learn to lead change in a world of social, economic, and digital disruption.

Pillar 4 – Electives
Electives allow students to align the program with their career objectives. With access to more than 100 elective courses in ��app’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies, students tailor their MBA to their current or desired career paths. The MBA offers concentrations in applied communication, finance, marketing and non-profit management, or students can pursue a general MBA without a concentration.

“Each business course includes experiential learning such as simulations and client projects,” added Ludema. “Students will connect with a dynamic community of innovators and business leaders, expand their networks, and build their capacity to lead transformational change.”

The program blends online coursework with essential in-person elements, making it accessible for full- and part-time professionals while fostering connections with peers, professors, and industry leaders. It begins and ends with a one-week on-campus residency focused on experiential learning and networking, while the remaining courses are conducted online, some featuring weekly live sessions and others completed at a student’s own pace with weekly deadlines in each course.

Kyle Small, Dean, ��app School of Graduate and Continuing Studies reflects on how the redesigned MBA brings value to the market.

“The end of undergraduate education in a Christian and liberal arts university is faithful citizenship; the end of graduate education is faithful leadership,” said Small. “The redesigned MBA at ��app is oriented to forming the whole person to lead with wisdom, skill, and faith. The intention behind building online and in-person learning communities is not simply a modality choice but an intentional design to 'do business better,' whether in marketplace, non-profit, education, or health care organizations.”

Recruiting for the first cohort is underway and classes start in August 2025. Visit online.calvin.edu to learn more and apply.

Fri, 10/18/2024 - 12:00

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2024 ��app Business Partners Award Winners

ag64@calvin.edu — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:29:15 +0000

2024 ��app Business Partners Award Winners ag64@calvin.edu Mon, 10/21/2024 - 16:29

The ��app School of Business recently recognized its 2024 ��app Business Partners Award winners. The award honors businesses and individuals who have partnered with the ��app School of Business to create outstanding learning opportunities for students.

Outstanding Corporate Award Winner – Maner Costerisan
Maner Costerisan is a full-service public accounting, technology and business consulting firm with more than 100 years of history serving the Great Lakes region. Maner Costerisan, an eight-time Accounting Today Top Workplace, is a key partner of ��app, actively recruiting ��app undergraduate accounting and Master of Accounting (MAcc) students, especially international students, regularly hiring MAcc graduates, and mentoring MAcc students while hosting career-related events on campus.

Outstanding Business Award Winner – Dirk Pruis
Dirk Pruis has been an integral part of the ��app School of Business, making an impact on students by developing new curriculum for the finance major, developing and delivering the personal financial management course, and developing the personal finance component of the ��app LifeWork program. He has also connected many students with some of the best organizations in the world for internships and careers. Through his relationship with well-known Christian financial advisor Ron Blue, Dirk helped ��app become one of the first higher education institutions to develop and launch the Nexus peer financial coaching program. In addition, he developed, launched, and led the Bachelor of Science in financial planning program and served as a mentor and coach. Dirk has truly been one of the pillars responsible for the growth and development of the School of Business and ��app overall. Dirk now serves as the university’s Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer.

Outstanding Business Award Winner – Leonard Van Drunen
Leonard Van Drunen has been instrumental in the development of the ��app School of Business by introducing new courses and greater rigor in the finance major as well as creating and leading interim trips to China and India. Leonard founded and advised Knight Investment Management, a student organization where students learn how to research equities and manage the investment of more than $2 million of the university endowment. Leonard also worked with ��app students in the West Michigan ACG Cup competition, where students analyze a complex business case and present strategies involving merger and acquisition alternatives, valuation, capital markets, finance options, and corporate strategy. He also contributed to the ��app Master of Business Administration Program by helping to develop, launch, redesign and assume leadership for the School of Business, a role he continues to play after recently retiring from active teaching.

The event was hosted by the ��app Center for Innovation in Business (CCIB) which engages students, faculty, and the broader business community to support and develop the ��app School of Business, raising the level of business education and scholarship at ��app to ensure students are well-equipped for lives of service and leadership in business.

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 12:00

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��app School of Business Welcomes Five New Faculty Members to Enhance Academic Excellence

ag64@calvin.edu — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 13:47:17 +0000

��app School of Business Welcomes Five New Faculty Members to Enhance Academic Excellence ag64@calvin.edu Thu, 10/10/2024 - 09:47

The ��app School of Business recently welcomed five new faculty members. Each brings a wealth of industry and academic experience to teach both undergraduate and graduate students.

Suraj Sharma
Professor Suraj Sharma is an assistant professor of management and has a background in business administration and international marketing. With a PhD from Georgia State University and a diverse research portfolio that includes cross-cultural psychology and negotiation, Professor Sharma teaches human resource management, negotiation, and entrepreneurship courses. Most recently, he held a post-doctoral research fellow position at California State University – Northridge exploring the intersection of business, psychology, and artificial intelligence. His most recent research delves into the effects of cultural norms on communication.

Bernardo Hargous
Professor Bernardo Hargous is an assistant professor of business analytics and brings a rich educational background and extensive professional experience in analytics, supply chain management, and operations. He holds a PhD in business research from the University of Barcelona, along with a master’s degree in business research and another in supply chain management. Before joining ��app, Professor Hargous worked with Accenture and Owens Corning, where he led projects in digital transformation and supply chain optimization.

Ron Winoweicki
Professor Ron Winoweicki is an associate professor of finance and brings a wealth of experience in finance, financial planning, and executive leadership to the School of Business. With an MBA in finance from Western Michigan University and more than two decades of senior leadership in the automotive and pharmaceutical industries, including Chief Financial Officer of Perrigo, he brings extensive practical insight to the classroom.

Nate Weflen
Nate Weflen joins the School of Business as a visiting lecturer and will continue as the Nexus Program Coordinator, a role he previously held while serving as an adjunct instructor. He holds an MBA from ��app and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Cornerstone University. Prior to joining ��app, he worked in B2B sales in Chicago with Shaw Industries, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. Earlier in his career, Nathan worked at Goldman Sachs in New York and Salt Lake City, serving as a project manager in alternative investments and as a trading operations analyst.

Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor joins the School of Business as postdoctoral fellow in business ethics. He holds a PhD in philosophy and normative ethics from the University of Oklahoma and has taught a variety of philosophy and business ethics courses at Taylor University and other institutions. He recently completed his dissertation, Forgiveness, Revenge, and the Shape of a Life, which explores why revenge can sometimes make sense and why that makes forgiveness matter even more.

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 12:00

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Anne Gaertner

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Timing is (Almost) Everything

ag64@calvin.edu — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 13:50:21 +0000

Timing is (Almost) Everything ag64@calvin.edu Wed, 10/02/2024 - 09:50

No entrepreneur wants to admit they are among the 20% who did not get their first business off the ground, but digital communications major Madison Coleman has no qualms about that reality. She started a portable coffee shop during her sophomore year. Though not a coffee drinker herself at the time, she noticed that students who wanted a cup of joe between classes on the east side of campus had to hoof it across the pedestrian bridge to Peet’s Coffee on the west side.

“There just wasn’t time to get there and back,” says Coleman, who hoped to solve that problem. Coleman launched her portable shop at the School of Business in 2022 during winter exam week, and quickly learned timing is everything. “It was terrible. No one was around.”

She tried again at the start of the spring semester, and this time business reached a steady clip. “It was a success, but to a certain degree it wasn’t,” Coleman recalls. On the one hand, her portable coffee shop met real demand, and she enjoyed it enough that she could see herself expanding and owning a coffee truck or shop someday.

“But being only a sophomore in college, it was a little too soon to be thinking about that. I didn't make as much money as I thought I would, and it was more work than I expected. I broke even and didn't have the funds to invest in the kind of equipment and startup costs required for a food business to grow.”

Coleman has not abandoned her business concept entirely and says she might return to it someday. But she did take a year off to rethink and pray about her next steps. She also stayed involved with ��app Startup Garage, an organization in the ��app School of Business she joined during her first year at ��app.

Coleman, a business minor, found ��app Startup Garage to be a welcoming community where she could combine her creative gifts with her interest in someday running her own business or doing freelance work. Starting her freshman year, she served on the ��app Startup Garage leadership team and created marketing materials to promote events. Then, during her junior year, she began pouring her creative energy into two long-held passions: photography and equine.

Coleman, who started riding horses at the age of seven, launched Coleman Studio in 2023, specializing in equine and lifestyle photography. “There’s something so special about capturing the bond between a horse and rider,” she says.

Professional equine photography is in high demand, but many families whose children are still learning and just starting to compete cannot afford the extra expense of professional photos. “It’s already an expensive sport,” says Coleman, who enjoys nothing more than preserving great memories for riders and families at an affordable price.

“I have been going to small, local shows and getting my name out at local barns. Everyone has been receptive and supportive so far.” In addition to equine photography, Coleman offers wedding videography, branding photography, and family and high school senior pictures. During the summer of 2023, she also landed a marketing internship at Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference, where she and her family have vacationed since she was a baby.

“I made montage videos for each week of camp,” Coleman explains. “I was always thinking about: What is my task and how will I communicate it? What feeling do I want to evoke? A recap needs to be fun, upbeat, and tap into people’s desires to return next year.”

The internship solidified her interest in both her major and her professional future. As she enters her senior year at ��app, Coleman’s post-graduation job plan is to continue growing her business.

“Launching my photography studio and having this internship are the first jobs that haven’t made me feel burned out,” Coleman says. “I’m showing clients God’s love, offering a service, supporting myself, making my job and my life my own. It has been so freeing mentally.”

Aware of the risks entrepreneurs face, Coleman nevertheless remains optimistic for the future, an attitude she holds because of her faith. “Growing this business, I actually have to put more faith in God—the future is less certain, but it also feels like the right fit.”

Tue, 10/01/2024 - 12:00

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Sara Korber-DeWeerd

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Visionary for Change

ag64@calvin.edu — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 16:46:10 +0000

Visionary for Change ag64@calvin.edu Tue, 08/06/2024 - 12:46

Pam Haralakova Marmon ’05 wears many hats. She is an entrepreneur who founded Marmon Consulting—a change management training and consulting firm, an author of two books, and a public speaker. She is also a mom, a role she describes as bringing her “the greatest joy and purpose in life.”

Your career path seems quite varied. Can you share that story?

Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve been fascinated with leadership and felt called to business. I started my career in corporate retail, followed by a role in finance in the aerospace industry. I stumbled on the discipline of change management when I became a consultant. Over the last two decades, I’ve enjoyed a thrilling career working with incredible leaders in Fortune 500 companies, churches, nonprofits, and startups. When it was time to launch my own business, I wanted to serve from the heart and with a voice that was unique in my space. Being an entrepreneur requires that kind of courage.

How does faith shape your work and life?

When I was graduating from ��app, I was asked to speak during the senior breakfast. I reflected that while everything in our lives was about to change, God’s character and presence was ever- constant. Some see change as exciting, while others see it as daunting, but in all circumstances, our faith anchors us to bravely take a step forward.

Believing that, I have always stepped into each new job trusting that the Lord directs my path. My confidence was and is in the Lord, not in the opportunities—he makes all things work together for the good of those who love him.

What inspired you to write two books?

I want my books to contribute to making the workplace a healthier environment where people can thrive, and companies can excel. In my first book, No One’s Listening and It’s Your Fault, I surprised leaders with the statement that with the proper process, change is not hard, and empowered them with practical tools to lead their teams from within. My second book, Speak Up or Stay Stuck, is for mid-level managers who feel like change is happening to them. As a consultant, I often help managers both find their voice and make change their choice. As an author, and with my books’ global reach, my message goes farther.

How did ��app help prepare you for your storied career?

My ��app years were wonderful. I served in leadership positions from my sophomore through senior years, while living on-campus with friends and participating in several internships. My professors were outstanding and guided me throughout my ��app experience. As a business student, I knew I was in the right space career-wise, but it took me seven years post-graduation to fine-tune the exact discipline where my passion and knowledge collided.

One pivotal moment when a ��app professor altered the trajectory of my life was when I was deciding between several job opportunities. I was leaning in one direction, and he changed my mind when he said, "Take the opportunity that gives you the most choices in life." That advice has stayed with me throughout my career. Even now as a mom and entrepreneur, I continue to choose opportunities that provide the most choices that suit my stage of life.

What advice would you give to students or young professionals who might be nervous to pursue a unique career path or who may be struggling to discern a vocational calling?

Starting my own business was intimidating, especially since I didn't have a network or the runway to launch it. Despite my fears, I went ahead and did it anyway. The decision has significantly impacted my life, leading to incredible opportunities. As an expert in the change management field, I encourage people not to fight change but to invite it. The journey is more enjoyable if you approach life this way. Jumping into the unknown is a gift, requiring us to rely on God’s guidance and gentle grace at every turn we make.

Tue, 08/06/2024 - 12:00

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