终身学习

对于斯蒂芬妮 Munsterman ’14 MBA, ’17 MSL, education was her path out of poverty. Furthering her education at Mount Mercy大学 made her non-profit career goals achievable.

“I was a first-generation college student, and I had my daughter when I was 19,斯蒂芬妮分享道. “I knew getting my graduate degree was going to be incredibly challenging, so I wanted to find something that was a good fit for me.”

Stefanie was looking for a program that would allow her to work in the social non-profit area. 对她来说， Master of Business Administration (MBA) offered practical skills that would advance her career.

“I knew what I learned through my MBA would be immediately applicable,斯蒂芬妮说.

"I knew what I learned through my MBA would be immediately applicable." 
– Stefanie Munsterman '14 MBA, '17 MSL

Stefanie has worked in a variety of industries, but her focus has always been bettering the lives of others. She began in psychology—originally thinking she would go further into the field. However, Stefanie felt she could make a bigger impact if she focused her energy somewhere else.

“I wanted to go more on the leadership side to affect more systemic change,斯蒂芬妮分享道. “I knew in order to do that I would need credentials to show I know what I’m talking about.”

对于斯蒂芬妮, the MBA gave her an opportunity to grow her confidence in a variety of skills—including math, a subject she thought she was bad at until her MBA courses. Stefanie began to discover talent she didn’t even know she had.

“在贫困中长大, you have a limited understanding of what your opportunities might be,斯蒂芬妮说. “Getting here, accomplishing that, and having my kids see that was pretty astonishing.”

Stefanie’s daughters were an important part of her educational journey. Stefanie was asked to speak at her graduation ceremony, and when she looked out into the crowd, she saw her daughters watching.

“It was just extraordinary to have the opportunity to show my daughters that despite life’s challenges, 你可以做困难的事情,斯蒂芬妮说.

对于斯蒂芬妮, returning to Mount Mercy for her Master of Strategic Leadership (MSL)是一个显而易见的选择.

“There is a huge difference between leaders and managers, and I wanted to live that in my day-to-day work,斯蒂芬妮分享道.

在这两个项目中, Stefanie enjoyed learning from her industry-expert professors, as well as her fellow classmates.

“I could bring knowledge from my work into the classroom. I also learned so much from my cohort,斯蒂芬妮说.

The knowledge Stefanie gained in business and leadership at Mount Mercy proved useful to her goals to affect systematic change through non-profit work.

Stefanie began working on the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission in 2019 as a Civil Rights Investigator and Mediator. The goal of the commission is to investigate claims of discrimination within the city.

“We continually push civil rights and human rights forward,斯蒂芬妮说.

In March of 2020, Stefanie took over as Executive Director of the commission. In addition to investigating injustice, the commission does significant educational outreach and community building.

“What I consider to be our North Star is helping to build a community of belonging. One in which all residents feel that they can co-create the structures, 机制, and policies within our community—that there's a co-agency having that meaningful voice,斯蒂芬妮分享道.

Stefanie continues to look for ways to expand her leadership skills and knowledge. She is able to teach others and continue learning from students in her role as an Adjunct Professor at Mount Mercy.

Stefanie has taught Systems Thinking, 解决冲突, 并发展了新的多样性, 股本, 及共融课程.

Stefanie’s advice to current students aligns with Mount Mercy’s value of lifelong learning.

“不断学习,” Stefanie encouraged. “Come to every conversation and opportunity with curiosity.”