Jyh-shing Chen

Jyh-shing Chen,’16, has dreamed of becoming an inventor since he was young. He knew he needed a business mindset and leadership skills to complement his considerable technical expertise. But the thought of going back to school was a bit intimidating because of his demanding job with NetApp, a storage and data management company.

After attending an MBA information session, though, Jyh-shing believed that the flexibility of the Meredith MBA would allow him to pursue the program at his own pace. He also participated in a negotiations class, which gave him a sense of what the MBA program would be like.

“I saw the passion in the professors, the engagement from the students, and the possibilities of the immersive learning and growing that could help me become a strong and effective business leader.”

Jyh-shing, who also has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from MIT, said he enjoyed working with a diverse group of students who had such different perspectives, and learning from faculty who were so invested in teaching.

“I have developed great relationships with faculty, staff, and fellow students and have their support – [the faculty] made sure we really gained the knowledge and skills to be successful.”

Every Meredith MBA student takes the ETS Major Field Test for  MBA – a nationally-normed test used to assess mastery of business concepts, critical thinking, and reasoning ability. Jyh-shing’s ETS score in the top 1% nationwide speaks to his mastery of business knowledge. He credits the varied and rigorous MBA curriculum with helping him achieve his impressive score.

“Not only did we learn from text books, in-class instructions and discussions, team work, case analysis, papers and presentations, and simulated games, we also learned from our mistakes and from each other. The learning and growing from every course contributed to achieving my results on the ETS,” said Jyh-shing.

Stephanie Hurt, associate professor of business, expressed great pride in his accomplishment. She noted, “In the last ten years, we have had quite a few top 10%, a few 5% and one other 1% of the nation in this neutral national test, which testifies to the Meredith Business School quality of education.”

Most graduate students know the challenges of balancing work, school, and life. For Jyh-shing, achieving that balance was even more elusive, as his son was attending UNC Chapel Hill and his wife was going to NC State graduate school at the same time.

“We did all enjoy the learning and the great sense of accomplishment after finishing each semester. We knew it would help us build a better future.”

Jyh-shing is looking forward to using his MBA knowledge to bring new products to customers while balancing the interests of all stakeholders.

“I feel confident in taking on leadership roles to help the organization in planning strategically and executing effectively to realize both company objectives – and my dreams.”

Learn more about the Meredith MBA