STUDENT CENTER
Student Spotlight: Calyn Patzer, MNO Candidate
Q: You're originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What influenced your decision to come to Cleveland and to the Mandel Center specifically?
A: I had originally set out to Cleveland to attend law school because I was interested in public and international law. However, after touring the law school environment something just didn't feel right. I knew that I wanted to help people, but I wasn't sold on the idea that law school was the right path toward achieving my career goals. Fortunately, the search led me to the Mandel Center. During my Cleveland visit, I met with Mandel Center students and several faculty members from various disciplines to discuss the program. I was immediately excited to be a part of the Master of Nonprofit Organizations program.
Due to my wide interests in the field of nonprofit work I specifically chose the Mandel Center because of its interdisciplinary relationships with the law school, business school, social sciences and social work programs. The Mandel Center's commitment to this academic foundation made me confident that I would be able to continue pursuing my interests in law and social services, but more importantly would provide me with the necessary tools to become a manager and eventually an executive director of a nonprofit organization.
Q: What have you enjoyed most about your time at the Mandel Center?
A: The one thing that I have enjoyed the most is the unique people I meet in my classes, both students and professors. In each class you will find individuals with varying degrees of work experiences across a wide variety of work settings. There are law students, social work students and MBA students in the classroom, providing a unique level of insight on the various topics being discussed. The environment strongly fosters encouragement and success, both in the classroom and professionally. In addition, professors have high expectations of their students and strive to assist students in reaching their full potential academically and in their career.
Q: As a Mandel Center student, do you feel connected to the surrounding nonprofit community?
A: Yes, I appreciate how the Mandel Center program requires its students to take the theories learned in class and apply them to real nonprofits in the community. Within my first year and a half of the program, I participated in eight different projects with organizations in the Cleveland community. These opportunities provided me with a breadth of invaluable experiences that I could not have received in the classroom setting alone.
Q: What are your future career goals and how do you anticipate having an MNO will help you?
A: My future career goals are still very broad. I aspire to some day work within the international community and/or the arts and culture sector. Within these settings I would like to become an executive director. Earning an MNO will help to facilitate these goals by providing me with additional skill sets and knowledge that I would not have obtained in an ordinary work setting. By applying the conceptual structure of the classroom toward real organizations in the community, I have engaged in practices that I will carry with me into my own career.
Q: What is your favorite part about working in the nonprofit sector?
A: Everyday in the nonprofit sector there are new challenges that require creative thinking and resource allocation and distribution - not just of money, but individual expertise, time and commitment - in order to achieve the organization's mission. These challenges create a unique working environment that is fast-paced and often guided by business principles not immediately associated with the nonprofit sector. Although nonprofits are a business, the mission ultimately drives my work and is therefore very rewarding. I cannot think of a similar setting where I am continuously provided with the opportunity to work one-on-one with community leaders while influencing change on both a small and large scale.
Q: What advice would you offer to potential Mandel Center students?
A: I would suggest that interested students should visit the Center and talk to as many people as possible about their experiences in not only the program, but also the nonprofit sector in general. I also encourage students to sit in on the classes they think they would be interested in, including classes being offered in other disciplines. I think that having these experiences at the Mandel Center prior to enrolling helps students decide if they prefer to pursue a master's degree or certificate in nonprofit management, and also provides them with an opportunity to explore the option of earning one of the dual degrees that the Center offers.
Q: What are your plans upon graduation?
A: I will continue working at Near West Theatre as their Associate Director of Development and Marketing where I assist in several fundraising areas including: corporate and foundation support, special event planning and execution, and Season Pass cultivation. I also manage marketing and media relations, as well as sponsorships and advertising campaigns.
As a full-time student and nonprofit professional I am looking forward to graduating and having more time to explore some of the unique places and restaurants in Cleveland. I also plan on spending more time volunteering, reading, traveling and visiting with friends.
