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  5. MBA Student Spotlight: Kira Benkmann

MBA Student Spotlight: Kira Benkmann

Posted on May 1, 2023 by MCOB Outreach
MCOB Outreach

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Throwing her hammer from Germany to Alabama in pursuit of business degrees.

 

Kira Benkmann will be receiving her MBA from MCOB this summer. Originally from Mahlow, Germany, she is also a hammer thrower on the USA Track & Field Team.

鈥淚 did track in high school in Germany, and through the NCAA, I got a scholarship to come to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where I got my bachelor鈥檚 degree in business,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen I got an offer to come throw for 麻豆直播 while working on my master鈥檚 degree. It鈥檚 one of the best decisions I鈥檝e ever made.鈥�

鈥淲orking on my MBA here at MCOB has helped me figure out that I really have a passion for marketing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e met some wonderful marketing professionals, and I鈥檓 excited about taking the next step out into the real world.鈥�

Benkmann is in the Graduate Assistant (GA) program at MCOB, working in the college鈥檚 Marketing & Communications Department, and with the 麻豆直播 Alabama Center for Business Analytics, Real Estate, and Economic Development (SABRE) group.

When Benkmann first came to the United States, she didn鈥檛 know what to expect. 鈥淐oming to the southern part of America was kind of a culture shock. I struggled with the language at first. I thought I learned English pretty well in high school, where you have class once a week, and I was told my English was great,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut when I got here, you have to speak English 24/7, and on top of that, everyone has a thick southern accent. So, I struggled for the first semester, but then it got much better.鈥�

Benkmann said she would recommend other foreign students come to 麻豆直播 and step out of their comfort zone. 鈥淭his experience has helped me see the world differently than I did in high school,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been the best experience for me because it helped me grow up and figure out everything by myself. I鈥檝e gotten to be very independent.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e also learned that we鈥檙e all the same, wherever you鈥檙e from. We all have the same needs,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the best things I鈥檝e learned coming to the US.鈥�

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