Since graduating in 2013, Colby T. Allen has worked as a finance assistant, marketing assistant, business analyst, and risk analyst. He is currently a project manager and uses analytics to increase revenue at his company, McGriff Insurance.
“My team’s efforts help to maintain an additional 1.8 to 2.0% additional revenue, or approximately $12 million per year, for a $600 million company through enhanced strategic relationships,” he said.
Colby’s time in the industry was beneficial when he decided to come back to UL Lafayette and earn his Master of Business Administration (MBA).
“Having a few years of professional experience certainly helped toward completing MBA courses, and I thoroughly enjoyed how each professor used authentic workplace cases from current companies to illustrate the learning goals,” he said.
Transitioning back into the student mindset was an easy task for Colby.
“The quality of education and branding is consistent, and almost feels like I haven’t taken six years between each session,” he said.
The professors in Colby’s undergraduate program provided a high-quality foundation for his career and his graduate studies.
“Dr. Bill Ferguson puts in so much effort to have quality guests in his seminar courses that are beneficial for students,” he said.
“I met several guest speakers in class that ended up working with on a professional level once I entered my career,” he said. “Having their business card already made it easier to bridge those connections later down the road.”
On top of the networking opportunities, Colby’s undergraduate internship gave him important professional experience.
“I was able to integrate an assignment with a real client case I was working in my job,” he said.
“Working step-by-step with a client trying to build an appropriate insurance program is not simple and being able to share my experiences — both professional and educational — was influential in my passion for continuing with this path,” he said.
As an undergraduate student, Colby was drawn to UL Lafayette because it’s one of the only two universities in Louisiana that offers an insurance and risk management degree. When looking into graduate school, it was UL Lafayette’s online MBA program that called him back.
“The flexible nature and affordability of the program are second to none of the options that I encountered,” he said.
“There have been great benefits, such as being able to complete coursework at my pace while balancing a full-time career, being able to study and turn in assignments while traveling, affordable tuition rates, and the accelerated semester format has allowed me to be flexible in scheduling my course load while also finishing in a normal time frame,” he said.
Colby’s goal for his graduate degree advances his current career while also pushing forward his long-term goal of being an educator.
“There are other courses and programs available that can be applicable to my career. However, the MBA Finance concentration also helps with my formal passion and working towards being in higher education,” he said.
“Soon, I will graduate with an MBA with one goal of being an adjunct professor with the hope to one day pursue a Ph.D. and become a full-time researcher and professor within the insurance and finance industries,” he said.
