Speaker: Jessie Buntin
Please introduce yourself and include what MTSU program(s) you completed. Why did you choose the program? What were your favorite aspects?
Jessie Buntin: Hi, I'm Jesse Buntin and I'm an alumni of the Jones Business College. I graduated in the summer of 22 with a Master's of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership. The reason that got me interested in this degree was that my previous education experience um really didn't prepare me for what my next step is in life. I served nine years in the Army as a combat medic where I also served as a recruiter and instructor and supervisor. I had a lot of management experience there. However, it is different from running your own business. Um after getting my undergrad degree in clinical laboratory science and serving many years as a laboratory scientist during covid, my husband who's a carpenter and I decided to start our own business Buntin Custom. We're an all custom carpentry shop. We build cabinets, custom furniture and unique built ins. This year my supervisor, Dr. Dan Morrell he recommended that I participate in the M T S U Business competition and I'm glad he did. After three rounds we won first place. This was really encouraging to our business and many things that I learned throughout our, throughout my Master of Science program I was able to implement within my business. Um Some of the highlights of the degree was learning about diversity in the workplace and building a strong organizational culture.
What takeaways did you get from MTSU and the program that have impacted your career?
Jessie Buntin: My education experience lies within the Army and the health care field and emergency medicine and and then within the laboratory within biomedical sciences. So getting into the carpentry business and being a small business owner was something completely different than what I was prepared for. I did learn many things that would be applicable to my business, such as human resources, organizational culture and diversity within the workplace, also how to motivate and inspire employees.
Do you have any advice for prospective or future graduate students? Is there anything else you'd like to say?
Jessie Buntin: My number one advice for prospective graduate students and current graduate students is to not do the bare minimum. As adults with very busy lives, adding a graduate program to your schedule that you probably already have a family, home responsibilities, children and/or a full time career adding graduate school can be quite complicated. However, anything that is worth doing is worth doing well, So I find time to participate in networking events. The Jones Business College also has an additional program for that and additionally participate in the competitions they have going on, such as the business competition that we participated in. If it wasn't for the encouragement of my advisor, it's not something I would have signed up to do. It didn't, it didn't benefit my education any, and I didn't even think that out of 64 applicants that we would win. Um, So if it's worth doing it's worth doing well.
