Kinley Frey is working on the path of success through a newfound passion. While receiving her bachelor’s degree in public relations, Kinley started an internship that would change the course of her journey.
She said, “I had to complete an internship program to earn my degree and I chose to work at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital for their Foundation and Marketing team. Through this internship, I learned how much I loved working in a healthcare environment and wanted to pursue a career in that field. My bosses encouraged me to get my MBA in Healthcare Administration to help further me in that career.”
Kinley chose to pursue an MBA in healthcare administration at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette because she had a wonderful experience as an undergraduate student and became accustomed to the University’s student life.
Kinley believes graduate student involvement in organizations is important.
“When I planned to get my MBA, I was nervous because I wasn’t sure I would know anyone in my classes or be comfortable with the faculty. I decided to join the MBA Association to get to know more people and I feel like this completely changed my experience in Graduate School. Without the MBA Association, I wouldn’t have met so many in-person and online students, faculty, and alumni.”
Kinley applauds the MBA program for its efforts to implement collaborative work throughout the graduate program.
“Most of the MBA classes will use collaborative assignments. These assignments have shown me real-world examples that will help me when I get a job after I graduate. I will already be comfortable with a lot of the programs that are taught within the classes which makes me more confident to enter the workforce,” she said.
She shared some insight with prospective graduate students about choosing the right graduate school.
“UL Lafayette is a great option for a graduate program because even though we are in higher-level classes, I still feel very involved with the school. We get to be involved with homecoming events, Get On Board Day, The Big Event, and even Mardi Gras events on campus.”
She is currently a graduate assistant working as an academic mentor for student-athlete academic services.
Kinley described her positive experience with career support from faculty.
“MBA students receive multiple job opportunities through email from our MBA advisor Janice Byrd. Not only are there job opportunities, but also internships if you need to have one to complete your degree,” she said.
After graduation, Kinley plans to work in a health facility, and she is open to other new avenues.
“I am trying to keep my options open on where that would be. I have learned through this program that I like Accounting and Law the most out of my classes, so I hope to work in a field that has something to do with those subjects,” she said.