SDSU Alumni Shares His Fowler Experience
Kevin Cohen
Managing Director,
Global Community Internet
SDSU Alumni Shares His Fowler Experience
Q: Please share a few sentences about your SDSU experience and how obtaining your Graduate Degree has helped you in your role today.
A: I really can’t say enough for the positive impact that my experience at SDSU had both on my personal and professional life. I was able to take classes that prepared me for real life scenarios as I moved into international business and my capstone course in the spring boarded me onto the executive track as my company, Viasat, was expanding into international markets. My whole plan was to get my MBA at SDSU while working to provide me with tools that would prepare me to switch career tracks and provide me with learnings that I could use as part of Viasat’s plans for international expansion. Beyond the coursework, I made life-long friends (plus a significant other!) and professional colleagues that I still keep in touch with today. I think it is really important to get as much as you can out of the experience, no matter how painful it feels to be working full time while studying, those few years turn out to be some of the most rewarding.
Q: Why did you choose to attend SDSU's Fowler College of Business?
A: Since I was a kid, I was always a huge fan of San Diego State as my parents met there, and I was always a huge fan of the sports teams. I grew up when Marshall Faulk was playing football at SDSU. Beyond that, from an academic perspective I really liked how it is consistently highly ranked and that the MBA program is ranked as one of the best values you can get for your education. I also wanted to continue working during my MBA, so I chose the school that I thought best fit me culturally and that was also close to home.
Q: Any notable faculty members and/or classes make a lasting impact on your career?
A: I really focused my studies on international business as I wanted to move into that realm with my language experience and admiration for other cultures. I really bonded with my marketing professor Dr. Claudiu Dimofte and he provided a lot of valuable insight throughout my part-time MBA and especially during our capstone project. Also, I met my wife in my International Marketing class with Dr. Massoud Saghafi, so that would definitely be a highlight for me beyond getting a chance to experience his unique teaching style.
Q: Why is a Graduate degree valuable to you?
A: I really valued it because I was able to go to school part-time with work experience under my belt. That experience allowed me to apply real life examples to what I was learning versus my bachelor’s experience where everything was theoretical. Additionally, as I studied engineering for my bachelor’s degree, I was able to take classes that prepared me to scale up in my career and accelerate me onto the executive track.
Q: What's one piece of advice you would give to our current students?
A: Make sure you study something that you are passionate about and that the elective classes you take prepare you for life after college. My favorite courses were the ones I wanted to be in and there is no substitute for being engaged in the classroom.
