Ambitious Young Professional Adds MBA, Earns Promotion

Building on Career and Educational Momentum, Young Professional Adds MBA, Earns Promotion

At 25, Trey Quealy has already earned a BS, an MBA, works in a management role with direct reports, and has had to perform an emergency hot air balloon landing. While the emergency landing was completely unplanned, enrolling in an MBA program was a vague consideration for the future, but became a more immediate possibility thanks to UC Online.

Trey packed up and moved to Cincinnati from Tennessee in 2019, just after completing his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. At the time, he knew he was interested in pursuing an MBA — someday. But once he found out about UC Online’s MBA program in detail, “someday” came sooner than he thought.

The Online Experience

“The program initially sparked my interest,” recalls Quealy, “but it wasn’t until learning about their national and state rankings that I knew this school was the right fit for me. Fortune ranked the program #7 in the country and U.S. News & World Report named it the best program in Ohio. Those rankings definitely solidified my interest!” Not wasting any time, the ambitious high achiever enrolled in 2020 and he’s happy he did.

Life & Learning in Balance

“Completing my MBA online through UC has allowed me to prioritize my full-time job, maintain a social life with friends and family, as well as thrive within an impressive business professional community,” says Trey.

He compares his online learning experience to learning in person as an undergrad. “I noticed it was more convenient to hop on a Teams call and connect for a few minutes. That was much easier than scheduling time slots during someone’s office hours and making a trip across campus for a brief session.”

High Expectations Exceeded

The hard work of the tech-savvy instructors for UC Online did not go unnoticed. Quealy was impressed with all they were able to do teaching online. “My UC Lindner College of Business professors were always willing to make time for me when reviewing practice problems or prep work for an upcoming exam. I actually received more support and 1:1 interaction from professors through my online experience at UC than I did when I was in person for my undergraduate degree.

“I was surprised how prepared and technologically advanced the online professors were too. From interactive and collaborative group projects to cutting-edge presentations in front of green screens, my professors exceeded my (high) expectations, especially given that it was all done online.”

Quality Connections

Regarding his favorite part of being in an online MBA program, he enthusiastically responds, “I loved how supportive and engaging the other students have been!” Trey enjoyed getting to know his fellow online students so much, he expressed interest in meetup opportunities outside of school to get better acquainted with those in the area.

Words of Wisdom

Quealy encourages new and future students to avoid procrastination. “My biggest advice to an applicant for thriving in an online MBA program is to start off each week strong. Don’t wait until the weekend to start an assignment. As a part-time student, working on my MBA for about 5 hours per week, I spent 30-60 minutes each night per class. Effective time management made the experience a lot more bearable than procrastinating until the night before each assignment’s deadline.”

Professional Impact

Trey credits his online education coursework with helping him better understand and appreciate the work being done by his colleagues. He works for Procter & Gamble, beginning his career as a Category Supply Planner, and moving up to Supply Chain Manager.

Confidence Builder

“In my role, I have the privilege of working with people from numerous departments and functions within Fabric Care — marketing, finance, purchasing, customer teams, engineering, HR, and more. All I learned from UC’s MBA program allowed me to better understand and appreciate the work being done by my colleagues. Whether it’s understanding ‘NOS’ or knowing how to interpret a value stream map, I feel much more confident and comfortable when talking to others outside of logistics!”

Successes & Highlights

In only three years, Quealy has already enjoyed quite a bit of success in his professional career. He happily describes the highlights, saying, “I’m most proud of my experience as a manager of six direct reports at Procter & Gamble. At the young age of 24, I was already managing employees — all older than me. I’m proud of the coaching, support, and guidance I’m able to give my team. I’ve created personalized impact plans for my team and I make it a point to organize frequent team icebreakers.”

Promotion Earned

Quealy’s accomplishments have not come without tough times. He recalls some of them, saying, “I’ve successfully managed people through challenging times and complex situations. I’ve navigated COVID-19, material shortages, transportation constraints, and cost and labor increases.” With much to be proud of, his hard work has been rewarded. “I was actually promoted to a band 2 manager a few months ago!”

The young go-getter says he’s aiming for the top after thoughtfully considering what his future holds. “I have a strong interest in becoming a top leader in upper management, whether it’s for a well-known corporation off the coast of California or a startup in Small Town, USA. I’m looking forward to more experience with supply chain, manufacturing, R&D, and brand, and I wouldn’t mind relocating internationally at some point. My ultimate long-term professional goal is to become CEO, President, and/or Chairman of the Board for a Fortune 500 company.”

Ready to discover the impacts an MBA from UC Online can have on your career? Explore everything our program has to offer.