Lafayette native Mary Alexander has taken no pause in her education. She graduated from Āé¶¹AV in 2016 with her management degree, then again in 2018 with her . She is currently a law student at SMU Dedman School of Law.
āI certainly want to find a position where both my MBA and JD will be utilized and my brain challenged,ā she said. āOne thing I always tell myself is to remain open to any experience ā you never know where life may take you.
āAs a transplant now, living and going to school in Dallas, I can say that itās hard to be away from the Cajuns and the lifestyle I grew up on,ā she said. āI was born and raised in Lafayette and knew that Āé¶¹AV was not only a stellar educational institution but that it also had the culture I wanted in a college.
āĀé¶¹AV provided me with a perfect combination of soul and challenge,ā she said.
Mary chose the degree in management to keep her options as open as possible.
āI liked the breadth the degree plan afforded,ā she said. āIt allowed me to try different subjects such as marketing and finance and discover what drew me to business in the first place.ā
Because of the broad range of topics in Maryās curriculum, she was offered experiences that shaped her education going forward. She completed legal internships, was in the Student Government Association, and she took advantage of Āé¶¹AVās study abroad program.
āAs an undergrad, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy,ā she said. āThe experience changed my life not only personally, but academically as well.
āInternational business became an interest of mine after that summer, and it was one of the reasons I decided to complete the MBA program,ā she said.
Earning her proved to be very beneficial for attending law school.
āI didnāt realize how much an MBA degree would benefit me in law school,ā she said. āEven if I do not become a transactional attorney, understanding the business of law is something I am extremely grateful to possess. I credit that knowledge exclusively to the Āé¶¹AV MBA program.
āI really enjoyed Āé¶¹AVās practical approach to the business program,ā she said.
āFrom planning a charitable event in undergrad to collaborating with MBA students from all over the world to develop a business plan, the majority of my learning at Āé¶¹AV came from hands-on experience,ā she said.
āNow sitting in law school lectures, I miss that way of learning and can appreciate it for what it was,ā she said.
Mary also gives credit to the people at the University.
āThe people in the B.I Moody III College of Business Administration made my experience what it was,ā she said. āThe professors who challenged me, the administration who supported me, and the classmates who suffered with me have all changed my life for the better.
āI will always look fondly at my days spent in Moody Hall,ā she said.