Ouachita celebrates first MBA graduates
November 06, 2024
- James TaylorOuachita Baptist University conferred its first Master of Business Administration degrees as faculty and staff gathered with students and their families at the Hickingbotham School of Business on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Dr. Ben Sells, Ouachita president, welcomed the group, noting the importance of the first class and expressing his thanks for the students and university leaders who supported the program.
“As you go forward,” he said, “may your lives be increasingly marked by sincere Christian commitment, uncommon wisdom, successful and meaningful work, and servant leadership.”
Dr. Chris Brune, professor of finance and George Young Chair of Business, read Colossians 3:23 and prayed for the graduates.
Before the conferring of degrees, the audience heard from student representative Lori Ramsey and the dean of the Hickingbotham School of Business, Bryan McKinney. Ramsey noted that being part of the first cohort meant there was some uncertainty, but ultimately “we were confident whatever Ouachita put together was going to be great.”
McKinney said that while all business schools teach business principles, the relationships and personal investments among students and faculty set this program apart.
“We’re not just grateful for you helping us launch this MBA program; we loved the engagement and time with you,” McKinney said. “I learned so much from you. And I know each of our professors can say that. Thank you for giving to this program, and not just taking from it.”
Dr. Marshall Horton, Regions Bank Professor of Economics & Finance and MBA program director, joined Sells, McKinney and Brune in conferring Master of Business Administration degrees to Ethan Blackmon from Hot Springs, Ark.; Kelsey Blackmon from Hot Springs, Ark.; Karley Cline from Mena, Ark.; Mollie Eldridge from Whitehouse, Texas; Madison Goodman from Texarkana, Ark.; Mallory Lester Jennen from Conway, Ark.; Trey Lynch from Conway, Ark.; Lori Ramsey from Arkadelphia, Ark.; Emily Trigg from Hot Springs, Ark; and Payne Warren from Bentonville, Ark.
Frank D. Hickingbotham, Ouachita Trustee and CEO of Hickingbotham Investments, addressed the group, emphasizing how often great accomplishments come from small beginnings. He spoke about small starts for his yogurt company, TCBY; the founding of Ouachita in 1886; and the formation of a School of Business at Ouachita.
“Sometimes our plans are so limited and so shallow,” he said, “that God just takes over.”
Rather than share a traditional Commencement speech, Hickingbotham said he preferred to let the students speak for the program.
“You will be the first graduating class to be the speakers at your own graduation,” he said, highlighting three themes that emerged from a recent survey. Hickingbotham shared student quotes about how the program was worth the cost to them, how it was an adventure with quality professors and how “they said the MBA program made a difference in their lives” by strengthening their confidence to lead.
The university also awarded Hickingbotham an honorary Master of Business Administration degree.
“To recognize the special bond you have with these ten graduates,” McKinney said, “we thought it was only appropriate to include you in this first cohort.”
He added, “Mr. Hickingbotham has engaged with them all along the way – from our first gathering last summer to numerous points of contact within individual courses, to writing each of them personal notes, to being with them today. If everyone had a Mr. Hickingbotham in their corner, the world would be a radically changed place.”
For more information about Ouachita’s MBA program, contact Jamey Gilliland, graduate enrollment specialist, at [email protected] or (870) 245-5133.
Lead photo: Frank Hickingbotham (center), Ouachita Trustee and CEO of Hickingbotham Investments, is pictured with the first graduates of Ouachita's Master of Business Administration program. They are (from left) Payne Warren, Mollie Eldridge, Emily Trigg, Lori Ramsey, Ethan and Kelsey Blackmon, Karley Cline, Mallory Lester Jennen, Trey Lynch and Madison Goodman.
Lead photo by Don Spivey
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