Alice Nkore, a graduate from the MBA program at the University of Dallas – Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business, recently commented on the importance of her MBA on her career and postgraduate life.
To earn her undergraduate degree in supply chain and business management, Nkore traveled more than 8,000 to Dallas from her home in Uganda. Although she planned to return home after graduation and work, many employers deemed her unqualified, and so she chose to return to the University of Dallas for her MBA.
To her great frustration, she had just as much difficulty finding a job when she returned home with her MBA in hand, because employers now saw her as too qualified.
Despite potential employers viewing her MBA as a threat, Nkore was still grateful for the opportunities she had been given.
“I thought about the person who had no degree and those who did not have an education at all, how did they feel? I knew there is something I have that could benefit someone else. I certainly was not empty,” she said.
Turning to her computer, Nkore offered empowering words for those in similar situations. Within a week, a number of readers were seeking advice. Eight months later, a publisher contacted Nkore to turn her empowering posts into a book.
According to Nkore, her experience at UD helped to shape her work and life after school. “UD overhauled my life,” she said. “The graduate business program helped me enhance a number of the skills I had but most importantly, the professors made me want to go out and make a difference in the world and the lives of those in my community.”
Today, five years after returning to Uganda, Nkore runs the Sense of Value and Purpose International Network (SVP), which has expanded across the country. The organization provides public speakers, school programs, community development programs and private mentorship services — all through the work of dedicated volunteers.