Jacob Ranson
Class of 2019
Hometown: Appomattox, VA
Undergraduate University: Hampden-Sydney College
Class Year: 2018
Major/Minor: Economics/Business
Current Employer: Smithfield Foods
Position: Supply Chain Analyst
Tell me about yourself.
I grew up in the small town of Appomattox on my family's cattle farm. Eventually, I went to Hampden-Sydney College for my undergraduate degree before coming to the MSBA program at William & Mary. Some of my hobbies include hunting, fishing, and playing guitar. Although I may not seem like the typical candidate based on my upbringing and hobbies, this program is very diverse and accepting of all backgrounds.
Why did you decide to pursue an MSBA degree?
My undergraduate education at Hampden-Sydney College gave me a very strong foundation of the soft skills necessary to be successful in the business world. However, I felt that lacking technical skills put me at a large disadvantage on the job market. After discovering that I could receive a heavily technical graduate degree in less than a year, I was completely sold.
Discuss some of the highlights that you enjoyed in the program.
Ease of access to faculty and the great amenities offered by the business school make the year much easier. However, the best part of the environment was the help of the Graduate Career Management Center in the job search process. They truly care about finding a position that fits you and will work tirelessly until that comes to fruition.
How would you describe our program to a prospective student?
If you want to learn how to use industry-leading tools to solve some of the most relevant problems in the business world right now, this is the program for you. For me, the heavy coding has been extremely challenging but very rewarding at the same time. I believe you would be hard-pressed to find a more efficient program to learn these important technical skills.
