What have you been up to since graduating from the MHA program at Mizzou?

Through connections I made during the program, following graduating from the program, I began working for Ludi, which offers innovative and fully integrated compensation management software for health care organizations. Since joining, I have worked on both our Implementation and Product teams and cross-functionally supported almost every team across the company. Today, I am working in a new role to Ludi as its Product Operations Manager, ensuring successful product release support across the company. Ludi went through a growth recapitalization in 2023, and being part of a company going through a transformation has been extremely exciting and rewarding.

During this time, my husband Jake and I have gone through three moves, including purchasing our first home back in Missouri near family, and brought home a Rottweiler puppy. She, along with our 12-year-old Boxer, keep us busy, and we love taking them with us wherever we can. They especially love going to Columbia and hanging out in the Arcade District, at Logboat or at the Pierpont General Store.

What advice do you have for MHA students?

Being open-minded to opportunities that come across your path and taking the time to network and get to know alumni and your cohort can open so many doors. We have an incredible alumni-base who care about getting to know and supporting our students and about creating meaningful relationships. I speak to alumni I met during the program on an at least weekly-basis on topics from work to personal lives. The support system I’ve found within our alumni is unmatched. Taking the time as a student to start building relationships, with your cohort and beyond, is the biggest piece of advice I can give.

What is a favorite memory from your time in the program or a class that you really enjoyed?

My favorite memory of my time in the program was the time I spent working on and attending the UAB Case Competition. Advancing to the final round of presentations my second year in the program was incredibly rewarding. The team also got to meet Susan Kirsh, the Deputy Assistant Undersecretary for Health for Discovery, Education, Affiliate Networks, who was attending the competition as well.

This experience helped me learn about real-world problems healthcare organizations and the industry itself are facing, time management skills, public speaking and presentation skills and even helped me build connections I found useful during fellowship interviews.

Why should potential students get their MHA from Mizzou?

The faculty and alumni-base. These two groups are truly unmatched. Our faculty and alumni care so deeply about our students and program and seeing them both be successful. There are so many alumni who devote countless hours to continuing to see the program and its students thrive. I have so many fond memories of the faculty, and their love and devotion to the students shows. There is a reason so many recent graduates love attending Fall Institute to get to see and catch up with faculty. I know to this day if I ever needed something, I could reach out to them. Any time I struggled with anything during my time in the program, there were numerous faculty doors always open.