Griffin Bell chose an MBA for a simple reason. He wasn’t happy in his job, knew he wanted to pivot to a different field (marketing), and saw a graduate business degree as the best way to avoid starting over at the bottom of the ladder.

His reasons for choosing Vanderbilt were a bit more complicated. Because he had spent most of his life in Wisconsin and Minnesota, he says, “I was looking to explore a new area of the country. The prestige of the Vanderbilt brand immediately caught my eye.”

But it was the people here that clinched his decision. “When I came down for my visit, I clicked with pretty much everyone I met, students and faculty alike,” Griffin says. “I am a big believer in ‘fit,’ and I definitely felt that Vanderbilt was the place for me.”

That feeling only grew stronger during his two years in the program. “I knew Owen would help me create an entirely new career path,” he says, “but I underestimated the quality of the relationships I would be able to form during these two short years. I have met so many smart people who taught me more than any MBA curriculum ever could.”

Ultimately, Griffin’s choice paid off. After graduation, he landed a marketing position with General Mills that enabled him to return to Minneapolis, where he had been working before he came to Vanderbilt.

And there was a bonus, he says: “The intimate culture [at Vanderbilt] has allowed me to forge authentic, lasting friendships with these great people.”