The Executive Development Institute wasn’t exactly an entirely new experience for Kathleen Overlin. But it was different.

“I’ve attended other programs where the topics were interesting and the dialogue was great, but I returned to my day-to-day position without a strategy to implement what I learned,” says Kathleen, an insurance executive in Franklin, Tennessee, who was interested in a program that was “focused on my growth needs” and that would help her organization deal successfully with a changing insurance marketplace.

“At Vanderbilt, I have walked away from each course with a roadmap that will assist me upon my return to the office,” says Kathleen, who earned a certificate by completing four open-enrollment courses in leadership at Owen. Without question, the courses brought me a better understanding of my leadership development needs and clarity on how I need to address them.”

Kathleen found the EDI faculty, as she expected, to be “top-shelf” — teachers who could combine theory with practice and their own real-world experience. The bonus she didn’t anticipate came from her fellow students.

“I deal with a lot of different businesses,” she explains. “So to sit in a classroom with people from all those different businesses has been invaluable. I’ve been able to see their perspective and better understand how they’re coming at different issues. Their willingness to share, challenge and suggest resolutions has allowed me to consider new ways to tackle long-standing protocols and circumvent potential problems.”