Graduate Student Ambassadors
Vanessa Lara
Program: Professional Master of Business Administration - Technology & innovation management certificate
Current city: Kansas City, MO
Industry: Professional Services
Favorite Bloch course: All of the courses I’ve taken at the Bloch School have been engaging and impactful, but two stand out as my favorites: Marketing Management with Professor Dave Michanovic and ACCT 5503 with Professor Salzsieder. Professor Dave made Marketing Management especially memorable by bringing in professionals from a variety of industries to share their real-world experiences related to the course topics. Hearing directly from people in the field gave me a deeper understanding of how marketing concepts apply outside the classroom. In ACCT 5503, Professor Salzsieder created a collaborative learning environment where we worked in teams and learned from one another in each class period. It was a great way to strengthen my understanding of the material and build connections with my classmates.
Jennifer Matascik
Program: Professional Master of Business Administration and Business Analytics Certificate
Current city: Overland Park, KS
Industry: Marketing Communications
Favorite Bloch course: Each class has offered lots of opportunities for learning, connection, and growth. I’ve appreciated that my professors have been engaged, caring, and eager to provide clarity. I particularly enjoyed the team collaboration and real-world projects in the Financial Accounting for Decision Making, Marketing Management, and Supply Chain and Operations Management courses. I'm grateful that Professor Safi’s Business Analytics and Statistics course enabled me to confidently apply analytical tools and demonstrate the MBA’s value to my employer.
Shauna Matney
Program: Master of Science in Accounting
Current city: Liberty, MO
Industry: Energy
Favorite Bloch course: Financial Accounting Theory - ACCT 5558 - with Professor Kline. It was the second year of financial statements. And it was amazing to see how things adjusted in real time from the first year. It was a great way to see how these work in the real world. I also loved how she was focused on learning, not about getting the answer right or wrong, she would let us take the quizzes as many times as needed in order to understand the problem. Some professors don't do that so I really appreciated it, it helped so much in my learning the material.
Alex Medina
Program: Master of Science in Finance
Current city: : Overland Park, KS
Industry: Telecommunications
Favorite Bloch course:
The class that has made the biggest impact on me at UMKC is Dr. Clark’s Investment Analysis course. The coursework challenged me to adopt an investor’s mindset, emphasizing the judgment and reasoning behind every investment decision. Dr. Clark brings a level of enthusiasm that makes the material engaging, and he’s always willing to help students work through challenging concepts. One of the highlights of the course was completing a full stock report on a company of our choice, which pushed us to analyze markets the way real investment analysts do. His support and energy created an environment where I felt encouraged to grow, and this course helped me build real confidence in my abilities as a student and business professional.
Martin O’Malley
Program: Master of Science in Accounting
Current city: Kansas City, MO
Industry: Accounting
Favorite Bloch course: My name is Martin O’Malley, and I am in the Master of Science in Accounting program at the Bloch School of Management at UMKC. I have lived in Kansas City since 2023, but I am originally from Weymouth, MA just outside of Boston. I have worked in both accounting and finance in my career. My favorite class at the Bloch School of Management at UMKC was MGT 5587 Purpose & Resilience for Professionals. This class was unlike other classes I’ve taken in that it gave students a chance to get to know each other a little better than in other typical business classes. This class gave students a chance to express themselves about where they were coming from and where they were hoping to go in their lives and careers. It was great to get to know some of my classmates a little better and form real and lasting connections through this class. I highly recommend this class to every Bloch student.