Life as an Intern at St. Andrews

By Madison Edwards for Equine Business Management class

Michelle Eld is a senior Business Administration Major and has competed on the hunter seat and western team throughout her time at St. Andrews. She is President of the business club and has participated in the honors program. She is a great team leader and a wonderful asset to the program. Michelle is one of six interns doing a semester long internship to organize the American National Riding Commission National Championships (ANRC) hosted by St. Andrews April 17 – 19, 2015.

I spoke to Michelle about her internship.

Q: How has this experience been beneficial?

A: This experience has provided me with insightful knowledge about event planning in addition to giving me the opportunity to have a truly hands on experience throughout planning ANRC.

Q: Were there any challenges you faced along the planning process?

A: The biggest challenge I faced is organizing my time, especially the week of the event because of how much dedication it takes to put on an event of this caliber.

Q: What were some of the major projects you are involved in?

A: The major projects I was involved in was scheduling food vendors and getting sponsorships from local and corporate venues. However, all of us interns worked together in a variety of ways in media relations, hospitality, and volunteer management.

Q: What are some valuable lessons you will take away from this experience?

A: One of the most important things I have gained from this internship is experience is communicating with business owners and building relationships with them. Additionally, I have gained a healthy respect for people who successfully plan and organize large scale events.

Q: How has your St. Andrews education prepared you for this internship.

A: My St. Andrews education has prepared me for this internship by giving me the communication skills that have prepared me to forge successful business relationships. Additionally, it has allowed me to combine my love and knowledge of horses with my business education.

I look forward to this weekend and I wish the best for luck to all competitors! I also want to thank all of the volunteers who have helped us not only this week but also throughout the past few months. 

What can you do with an Equine Business Management Degree?

by Mary Thomson for Equine Business Management Class

When I first started looking for colleges, I knew I wanted to find a college where I could combine my love for riding horses and get a degree that I could use later in life. St. Andrews University offers a unique Equine Business Management degree that has allowed me to do just that. When people first hear me say that I am getting my bachelor’s degree in “Equine Business Management” they tend to look at me funny, but this is always a great conversation starter. I am able to then explain what all I have learned as a part of this degree.

            Unlike an Equine Studies degree, Equine Business Management is a business degree. We take classes like Accounting, Economics, Finance, Communications, and Marketing to name a few. What makes this degree special is that in addition to these business classes, we also get hands-on learning with the horses at the equestrian center. We take classes like Stable Management, Equitation, and Horse Science. We learn about horses inside and out and everywhere in between. Combining these two elements in this special degree makes for dynamic equine professionals entering the workplace.

            Many people ask me what you can do with a B.A. in Equine Business Management. My answer would be almost anything! Many students who graduate with this degree go on to become barn managers, trainers, professional riders, sales representatives for equine companies, and much more. The great thing about this degree, is that it does not limit students to only working in the equestrian field. Because it is also a business degree, it opens up the possibility to go into many other fields as well. If you are interested in furthering your education past a bachelor’s, there is now the opportunity to receive your master’s in Business Administration at St. Andrews. If you love riding or just being around horses and want to make them a part of your future career, consider checking out the Equine Business Management degree at St. Andrews University!

St. Andrews MBA Program Graduates its First Class

This May St. Andrews graduated its first class of students from the MBA program. I talked to Heather Lee who was a member of the graduating class and Rob Jacobs who is currently enrolled in the program. Heather serves as a Hunter Seat Riding Instructor and Event Manager for the St.Andrews Equestrian Program. I asked Heather about the skills she had learned or developed during her time in the program.

“The skills that I have been challenged to develop throughout the MBA program are those that aid in professional development and in critical thinking. Many classes, from beginning to end, use a case based method of study that took the theories and principles from the text books and applied them to real life. Each class gave a different area of focus that, in the end, allowed me to see the whole picture and how those pieces fit together. The final practicum classes gave me the opportunity to put those pieces together and to be able to apply the concepts covered in previous classes, in a professional, real life situation.”

Rob has spent two years at St. Andrews working as a Hunter Seat Coach, Assistant IHSA Coach and Education Coordinator, he had this to say about the program. “The MBA program that St. Andrews offers is unique and growing daily; the program has given me knowledge and practical experience which has already fostered my growth and career advancement.” When asked about the skills that he has developed he had this to say. “The most important skill I have taken away from the courses thus far is how to understand and work better with different personality types. Communication is a struggle for everyone but working to keep our lines of communication open and clear is vital to the success of any organization.”

Both Heather and Rob agreed that Human Behavior was their favorite class. Heather said, “My favorite class throughout the MBA program was the Human Behavior class. I think this is something that is over-looked in many companies, whether they are successful or unsuccessful. Learning more about the way different people think and interact is a crucial piece in being a manager, no matter the industry. This class put an emphasis on understanding the way different personality types are driven. I think this class has helped me to understand more about myself and the people I work with both in the classroom as a student and in the arena as an instructor.” Rob agreed, “This class taught me the most about myself and how I can better work with other personalities. Working in the equestrian field naturally lends itself to working with people who are strong willed and working with others requires skill and a tactful approach in order to be effective.”

I asked Rob what he felt was the value of the MBA program. “Besides coaching equine lessons, I enjoy teaching equine lectures to college students in an academic setting and having my Masters would make that possible in the future,” he said. “The greatest benefit of St. Andrews' MBA program is the practical knowledge that I receive which can and will be used immediately.”

Equestrian Program Review - Non Traditional Students

Kacie Carter who is herself a non traditional student tackled the topic in her History & Theory of Modern Riding class review of the 2012 - 2013 school year.

Read Kacie's report here.

Life after St. Andrews?

We have been doing some advanced planning with the slightly quieter time in May (especially now that the horses are starting to leave for their summer homes and the numbers at the Equestrian Center are going down). One of the projects I have been involved in concerns helping our students with possible careers early on in college life so they can take the appropriate classes and maximize their St. Andrews education. Discussions for this project led us in several directions one of them being what our graduates are doing now. Renee Jones, Director of Career Services, complies data on what graduates are doing six months after graduation. She has done an incredible job with this the last few years.

2013 – 100% of grads are either working full or part time, furthering their education, doing an internship or serving our country in the military or in organizations such as Peace Corps. Data for previous years are equally impressive 2012 – 96% and 2011 – 94%.

Renee does something that most schools fail to do, she gets in touch with every graduate at the six month mark to find out what they are doing. Most schools poll 20 – 30% and draw conclusions from that and so their results are not quite as accurate as the SAU figures. Renee was kind enough to share the 2013 breakdown with me and it was pretty remarkable. Remember this is 100% of the graduating class reporting not a small sample!

Continuing Education – 14.5%

Internships – 1.3%

Full-Time Employment – 63.2%

Part-Time Employment – 21.1%

St. Andrews maybe small but these figures speak loud and clear for the value of the education provided.

Thanks for sharing Renee!

Awards Convocation 2014

Friday evening the Faculty recognized students who excel in the classroom at the annual Awards Convocation. Sophomores were recognized for their academic achievements with many Equestrians included on the list. Each academic department bestowed special honors including awards, scholarships and induction into honor societies.Equestrians that were honored on Friday evening include;

St. Andrews Honor Society

Michelle Hustad

Katie Mosca

Claire Pollard

Willow Schuler-Goodman

Tau  Rho Rooney L. Coffman Award

Christine Harrelson

Holly Hickman

Beta, Beta, Beta

Alexandra Fullerton

Lauren Guenther

Taylor Hasenauer

Michelle Hustad

Katie Hutchings

Kelsey Jones

Sarah Jones

Psi Chi

Willow Schuler-Goodman

The Timothy J Olthoff Award for Art

Sierra Walker

The Flora Macdonald College Class of 1985 Scholarship for Music

Emily Wright-Thomasson

Pi Gamma Mu

Tara Algieri

Carey Andrews

Vanessa Bradley

Hallie Myers

Claire Pollard

Karen Zielonka

Equestrian Academic Leadership

Hunter Seat – Cami Glaff

Western – Katie Mosca

Dressage – Claire Pollard

TH – Meghan Nedow

Sigma Beta Delta

Cami Glaff

Hallie Myers

Claire Pollard

Abigail Skillman

Excellence in Equine Business Mgt.

Abigail Skillman

Excellence in TH Mgt.

Megan Nedow

Beginning Business Major with Outstanding Potential

Mary Thomsom

Junior Business Major Demonstrating Overall Excellence

Hallie Myers

Gravity Hill Editor’s Choice Award

Tara Algieri

Marie Gilbert Award for Poetry

Shiloh Kozlowski

Alpha Chi National Honor Society

Cami Glaff

Katie Mosca

Sarah Murvin

Willow Schuler-Goodman

Michelle Hustad

Hallie Myers

Rebeccah Yuswak