Meet Kevin Vargas, a 2019-2020 3M M.B.A. Fellow who is studying at the U of M's Carlson School of Management.
Can you tell us about your career history?
I received a bachelor of science in biomedical engineering from Yale University. Following graduation, I moved back home to Illinois to work for a small, privately owned medical device contract manufacturer as a manufacturing engineer. After two years, I moved to Minnesota and joined a publicly traded medical device contract manufacturing company as a quality engineer. After one year, the company recognized my potential and promoted me to quality engineering team leader.
Why did you decide to pursue an M.B.A. at the Carlson School of Management?
After working four years in the medical device manufacturing sector, I wanted to focus less on how to make the product, and more on why we make the product. For me to understand more about the medical technologies we develop, I needed to learn about the different marketing tools, business strategies, and frameworks used to understand the industry and the companies that operate within it. As I grappled with this, it became more and more obvious to me that attending the Carlson School would best position me to be at the forefront of the intersection between health care and business.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
I look forward to honing my skills as a growing entrepreneur in the health care space.
I am incredibly thankful to be a recipient of the 3M M.B.A. Fellowship and to attend the Carlson School of Management. Because of this generous support, I will not need to worry about seeking part-time employment to offset the cost of attendance. As a result, I will have more time to focus on my M.B.A. coursework and to learn more about the skills needed to become a successful manager. Additionally, I will have more time to devote to career preparation, including résumé polishing, interview skill building, and selling myself as a strong candidate to top companies.