After first visiting NC State in 10th grade, Grant Gibson decided he wanted to pursue his business administration bachelor\u2019s degree at the university\u2019s Poole College of Management. \u201cI fell in love with the culture at NC State. Everybody wants to work hard and give it their best,\u201d the 2021 graduate says. <\/p>\n\n\n
Gibson gave it his best in the classroom and on the Wolfpack football team. \u201cYou can come here and grow,\u201d he says. \u201cNC State has helped me grow and spread my wings.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n
Now, Gibson expects his experiences as a student in Poole\u2019s new Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA) concentration<\/a> to help him spread his wings more. As he learns to leverage data insights that drive business growth, the graduate degree may also increase the return on his investment in his own career.<\/p>\n\n\n Supply chains and marketing analytics \u201cgo hand in hand,\u201d he says. \u201cGaining knowledge in those areas will only improve my chances of getting hired in the future.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n For his bachelor\u2019s degree, Gibson, from Charlotte, concentrated on operations and supply chain management. Using Amazon in high school sparked his interest in supply chains. And global supply chain problems and increased online shopping because of the pandemic have reinforced his passion about the field. <\/p>\n\n\n \u201cSeeing all these challenges and how the world has been impacted just shows there\u2019s a need for my business degrees in the world,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n As an undergraduate, Gibson\u2019s internship this summer in the business office of NC State University Athletics, tracking how teams spent funds, was invaluable career preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cIt was that opportunity I\u2019ve always wanted, an ultimate experience,\u201d he says. \u201cMy business degree is flexible. I like sports and business\u2026The opportunity to work in the athletics department will help me down the line. I can see myself managing the finances of teams someday.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n In the classroom, Gibson credits Poole\u2019s faculty with delivering relevant, real-world content \u2014 and giving ongoing support. \u201cThey really want you to do well here,\u201d he says. \u201cKnowing your professors actually care about you and want you to succeed means a lot.\u201d Those caring connections also were palpable on the football team for Gibson who, with two remaining years of eligibility to play, was on the team again this year as a graduate student.<\/p>\n\n\n As starting center, he and other blockers have to think cohesively and communicate clearly to help the quarterback and running backs. \u201cWe have to be on the same page. With the way I know how to work with people, manage groups and work well under pressure, the things I learned on the field will carry over to the business world,\u201d says Gibson, who loves playing on the offensive line. <\/p>\n\n\n In pursuing the MMA degree, he\u2019s on offense with his career, too. <\/p>\n\n\n Choosing Poole for graduate school was an easy decision, he says. \u201cNC State already has taught me so much. I\u2019m building on what I learned as an undergraduate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n That includes skills in teamwork and respectful communication, crucial in the degree program \u2014 and in the workplace \u2014 because students frequently work in groups. <\/p>\n\n\n Gibson especially appreciates having some older classmates with diverse career experiences. \u201cHearing their stories about work and how they\u2019ve grown since they\u2019ve been out of school is enlightening,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are some very smart people in this program. I\u2019ve learned a lot from them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n And as with his undergraduate classes, his MMA professors are invested in students\u2019 success. \u201cYou can tell they want the best for us,\u201d Gibson says. \u201cThey also want us to be challenged. This work isn\u2019t easy\u2026But it\u2019s an awesome experience.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n Although Gibson has received accolades in football, his contributions to NC State have been recognized beyond that. He was a finalist for the university\u2019s 2021 Leader of the Pack<\/a> award for scholarship, leadership, service and commitment to an inclusive campus. <\/p>\n\n\n \u201cI knew when I chose NC State I could pursue two dreams, one on the field and one off the field,\u201d Gibson says. <\/p>\n\n\n Pursuing both dreams, as a graduate student and undergraduate, has been challenging. He has learned how to manage his time wisely and keep his grades up while balancing academics, football and the pandemic\u2019s additional stressors.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cBeing able to do well with the extra things,\u201d Gibson says, \u201cI\u2019m setting myself up for success in life because I believe anything that\u2019s thrown my way I can take care of.\u201d<\/p>\n This post was originally published<\/a> in Master of Management Marketing Analytics.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"\n By Jess Clarke<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n After first visiting NC State in 10th grade, Grant Gibson decided he wanted to pursue his business administration bachelor\u2019s degree at the university\u2019s Poole College of Management. \u201cI fell in love with the culture at NC State. Everybody wants to work hard and give it their best,\u201d the 2021 graduate says. <\/p>\n\n\n Gibson gave it his best in the classroom and on the Wolfpack football team. \u201cYou can come here and grow,\u201d he says. \u201cNC State has helped me grow and spread my wings.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ma.poole.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/12\/GibsoncrouchUP_JG_-1024x682.jpg\")