Sticking to family tradition is what first led Matt Martin ’21, ’23 to the University of Dayton.
“I love the University of Dayton. I’m from a family of Flyers,” said Martin. “My granddad, my older brother, me and my two younger siblings. My whole family is a Flyers family.”
But it was his desire to carve his own career path that kept him in Dayton to earn his Master of Business Analytics degree.
“I got an email from the Graduate Business Office, and that's kind of where this whole journey started,” said Martin. “I didn't really have any jobs lined up for myself and was kind of in this limbo state of what do I do?”
Martin had originally figured he’d get a master’s degree after working for a little while. But he had loved his four years as a Flyer, and something about the timing of that email made him think that maybe he needed to stay a bit longer.
“I found it appealing that you can find your purpose at UD and not focus only on completing coursework,” said Martin.
“I found it appealing that you can find your purpose at UD and not focus only on completing coursework,” said Martin. “That was pretty appealing, and it’s one of the reasons I ultimately came to UD and stayed at UD.”
It was also appealing to Martin that he could start earning his master’s as an undergraduate. Martin took advantage of the University’s Bachelor’s Plus Master’s program, allowing him to take classes that met both undergraduate and master’s requirements. He also received a discount on tuition once he graduated with his undergraduate business degree.
“Having an affordable tuition was great for me,” said Martin.
So was the flexibility of the program. Martin took classes both on campus and online, allowing him to work as a graduate assistant and with Dayton area non-profit organizations while earning his degree.
“I was able to stay connected to the campus and the community. I got that in-person support from my professors,” said Martin. “But I think the online classes are great too as a way to connect to some people outside of the community who are in the middle of their career and are working toward their advanced degree. That’s what I loved and how I was able to get a lot of value out of the program.”
Now, a couple of years into his career in Chicago, Martin credits his time in the master’s program for teaching him not just his purpose and calling, but also how to learn on the fly.
“I’m always up for whatever life throws at me!”