Last fall, I had the privilege of participating in the Certificate in Business Management (CBM) Program at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at The College of William & Mary in Virginia, the nation’s second oldest university.  This intensive, 40-hour classroom program provided an immersive overview of current business theory and practice.  Taught by award-winning faculty at the Mason School, the program covered five core areas essential to successful business management -- effective communication, managerial accounting, strategy, operational effectiveness, and executive leadership.  Prior to participating in this program, I last set foot in a university classroom in 2003, when I earned my law degree.  I had some trepidation about spending an entire workweek in a university classroom.  The experience was well worth the time investment and travel to southern Virginia.  All five professors were incredibly engaging and knowledgeable, seamlessly interweaving business theory with real world applications.  To my surprise, I even enjoyed managerial accounting! 

I walked away from the program with many valuable insights, particularly in the areas of executive leadership and strategy.  Equally important, I walked away with a desire to further my education in these areas through independent study.  Since completing the program, I have read more Harvard Business Review articles than I can count.    In addition to the outstanding faculty, the staff at the Mason’s School’s Center for corporate education were exceptionally welcoming and made the experience a memorial one.  On the second day of the program, they organized a tour of and lunch inside the Christopher Wren Building, the oldest college building in the United States.  Walking through the same halls once traversed by Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Marshall, it difficult not to feel both inspired and humbled by the history and tradition that literally surround you.  William & Mary’s historic and serene campus is among the most beautiful I have visited and is particularly well suited to reflection and learning.  Surrounded by tall white oaks and southern magnolias, the College’s well-preserved brick buildings invoke its colonial heritage.  Alan B. Miller Hall, home of the Mason School, was dedicated in 2009 but was designed in a timeless architectural style that complements the historical buildings on campus. 

I am tremendously grateful to Stat Staff Professionals for affording me the opportunity to attend this wonderful and rewarding program.

Thomas Kernan with Ken White, Ph.D., Associate Dean for MBA & Executive Programs at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary.