Jason Kaspar already had a graduate business degree—a Master of Accountancy—and a position as a senior associate at a Big Four accounting firm. But he was looking to move in a different direction.

“I wanted to transition from mergers and acquisitions consulting to pure business consulting,” Jason says. “And I wanted to prepare myself for C-suite roles longer term.”

As a Tennessee native, he was familiar with the Vanderbilt brand, and he and his wife had lived in Nashville previously.

Drawing on his MAcc degree and previous work experience, Jason took advantage of the opportunity to tailor the program through independent studies with Professors Josh White and Larry LeBlanc. He also served as a teaching assistant for a class in the Master of Finance program, which he describes as “a unique experience” that enabled him to form relationships with several students outside of his program. He also enjoyed strong relationships with faculty, who, Jason says, “genuinely care about students and their past, present, and future.”

Upon graduation, Jason moved into a new position with Deloitte—and into the more general business consulting role he had hoped to fill. He thinks the Vanderbilt MBA program equipped him well. “It has helped me put a framework around my past experiences, meaning I can see what those experiences are and how they fit into a company’s larger strategy,” he says. “Before business school, I really just had a lot of disparate parts of financial and accounting knowledge and how those functions operated within a business. Now, I can better see how those functions serve a company’s broader vision and, hopefully, serve as a valuable partner to clients moving forward.”

Fun Fact: Jason played Scrabble competitively in middle school and high school.

I really just had a lot of disparate parts of financial and accounting knowledge…Now, I can better see how those functions serve a company’s broader vision.