Campus and Community Benefit from Diversity Partnerships

Marcus is a graduate student in the College of Business pursuing his MBA with a focus in management. His goal is to work in human resources.

Marcus is among a growing number of graduate students on campus who are maximizing their educational options through Missouri State’s partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Marcus gained his undergraduate degree from Tuskegee University. During his junior year, he became aware that he could apply Tuskegee business courses toward MSU’s accelerated MBA program. This shaved a year of time and expense from his educational journey.

Since moving to the Springfield area, Marcus has built a diverse network through the Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB), the student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the MSU Office of Inclusive Engagement. Marcus’ connection to the inclusive engagement team opened the door to a range of university resources and opportunities beyond the classroom.

SAAB and the Office of Inclusive Engagement mentors connected Marcus with leadership at City Utilities, where he secured a paid internship. Marcus is working toward becoming a hiring manager in the human resources unit of CU. He’s excited at the prospect of staying in the community he has grown to love and being a part of a company that supports a vibrant workforce of highly qualified diverse employees.