When Ronnie Pinnell graduated for the first time from the University of Dayton in 2012, he was ready to make some noise in the music industry.
Armed with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications, Pinnell packed up and moved to Nashville. Pinnell found work in a recording studio, but discovered unpredictable work hours and a longing for his friends and family.
“I'm from Dayton,” said Pinnell. “So, I missed home.”
Moving back home meant stepping away from his music-industry plans, but Pinnell’s pivot ended up being the move that set him on a new career path. It started when he found work as a marketing manager. Part of the gig meant tracking down information the team didn’t have and presenting it clearly, and that unlocked a new passion.
“Analytics is now my favorite part of my job,” said Pinnell. “The more I dove into the analytical fields, the more I realized I liked it a lot.”
The discovery that he liked analytics had him looking into ways he could better prepare himself for jobs that use data and analytics to guide business decisions.
“I saw that UD had a Master of Business Analytics program, and I was already in love with UD from my undergraduate experience."
“I saw that UD had a Master of Business Analytics program, and I was already in love with UD from my undergraduate experience,” said Pinnell.
Pinnell was accepted to the MBAN program and chose to go the online route, taking classes via Zoom so he could continue working while studying. By the time he graduated in May 2024, he was working as a business analyst.
“Business analytics is fun,” said Pinnell. “It’s an outlet for me.”
One of the biggest lessons Pinnell took from the MBAN program was that data only matters when you can explain what it means — and what to do next.
“I've made that mistake where I review information, and it's a little technical, and you just see eyes glaze over,” said Pinnell. “Data itself is useless unless you can draw an underlying conclusion from that and help provide insight into what that data means.”
Now living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Pinnell is looking toward the future and how his master’s degree can help him with more advanced analytics, like research, and how machine learning can improve efficiency.
“My current job is phenomenal,” said Pinnell. “Everything that I learned in the MBAN program has helped me succeed.”