Flexible EMBA Program Launches Busy Mother to New Heights at Lockheed Martin

Finding an MBA program that fit her extremely busy schedule was a daunting task for Maria Smith. A mother of three small children, Smith was working full-time as a Senior Financial Analyst at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company when she began her hunt. Smith’s morning began with getting her 9-year-old son ready for school and getting her 3-year-old twins dressed. “After that, I spent nine to 10 hours at work, after which I would come home and do homework side by side with my son. When I got tired I would take breaks,” said Smith.

The first and most important ingredient Maria Smith needed in her MBA program was flexibility, as she was a returning student working full time with a family to take care of. Now, after officially graduating the EMBA program March '17, Smith has been promoted to a new high-level high-security role with advanced responsibilities at Lockheed. She joined her new team in February. “I was able to get a promotion with more responsibility while in the EMBA program; it opened doors for me before I even graduated,” said Smith.

Smith had a diverse career path before deciding it was time to expand her existing skill set at Saint Mary's by joining the EMBA program. She graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in business administration, and a concentration in international business, with plans to pursue a career with a global focus. Starting out in the legal field, she decided not to go to law school, instead going to work for UPS, then the American Transportation Industry.

 "When I worked in the transportation industry, I had the privilege of working with peers from Asia, Latin America and Europe. I gained a lot of experience there supporting the director and the VP of strategic marketing." While in the transportation industry she developed an appreciation for the need for ethics in a global culture of business and furthered her desire to continue to work on a global landscape.

After stints in Silicon Valley and at PG&E, she joined Lockheed Martin. "I manage very large budgets for infrastructure improvement projects. These projects are to support programs for work that we do for the U.S. Government." Her new high-security role was offered to her directly as a result of gaining higher level experience through what she learned in the EMBA program.

Smith enjoyed her experience at Saint Mary's, particularly the one-on-one time she had with her professors. "In the EMBA program, the students came to the table with diverse experiences. We were able to share our experiences with the faculty and they were able to tell us how to better manage the landscape we are already working in, depending on what the subject matter is," says Smith. Her teachers helped her through her current work concerns, giving her the tools to tackle issues she was actually struggling with in real life. "Dr. Williams, one of my professors, had specifically said, 'If you have trouble understanding this I will help you through it.' They've been a great group of people."

Having excelled in the program, Smith would recommend it highly to anyone looking to enhance their skill set while working full-time, even with a family. "For anybody who thinks, ‘I'm in my late thirties, or my late forties, I have children at home, I can’t do this,’ there's no excuse," she said. "If you live in the East Bay and you have a tight schedule there are programs for you. At Saint Mary's you can find a schedule that fits you. There is even a new hybrid program that is still highly interactive. This means you have more opportunity to get your degree than ever,” said Smith.

“The EMBA program has flexibility. This program has enabled me to earn my MBA and still have all of these responsibilities on my plate. The ability to go on Saturdays... there aren't very many programs that offer that.” Smith said when she graduated, her son, who had been excited to be doing homework with her on evenings, was even more enthusiastic. “I get you back to myself on Saturdays now,” he said.

“One thing about Saint Mary's is they try to make education accessible to everybody and I think that's very noble," said Smith.