Why Miriam Chose the Business Administration Pathway

Miriam Kolodny shares her journey that led to her degree in Business Administration.

How did you first hear about Sara Schenirer, and what made you choose this path?

In high school, I completed a dual-credit program through Sara Schenirer. I was very impressed by the professionalism and responsiveness of their entire team, which is why I decided to continue with them to earn my bachelor’s degree. Although I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to study at the time, my adviser explained that I could enroll in college-level classes such as English, Microeconomics, and Public Speaking that would allow me to earn credits toward a Sara Schenirer degree. Once I graduated high school and enrolled in the Bachelor’s in Business Administration program, I already had 18 credits on my transcript. The process was so smooth since I didn’t even have to transfer the credits in. Taking the dual-credit classes helped me adjust more easily to doing college-level work and having so many credits lightened my first-year workload.

What inspired you to pursue Business Administration?

I’ve always enjoyed learning, but I wasn’t sure what field I wanted to pursue for a career. At first I considered psychology and education degrees, but I didn’t see myself as a therapist or a teacher. I started exploring the business program and right away the marketing courses interested me and seemed like they would suit my personality and strengths. Once I began taking classes and working on marketing projects, I realized how much I enjoyed them and started to think about a career in the field. Through marketing, I can be creative and help others succeed in business while maintaining the flexible lifestyle I need as a frum girl.

How prepared did you feel when you first started? What surprised you most about your classes?

I was prepared for the rigor of college-level courses, but I obviously had very little experience with the subject matters being taught. What surprised me the most about the program was just how much tangible information I gained from my classes and how I was able to apply my knowledge to the final projects. For instance, during my first-semester marketing class we learned about the many aspects of a marketing plan and then were tasked with creating our own “business.” My business was a drive-through virtual restaurant and I had to research market demographics, do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, and devise a successful marketing strategy for the future of the business. The project was the culmination of the entire course and gave me such a sense of fulfillment when it was complete. It showed me how the in-class learning can be applied on a very practical level to achieve real-life goals. It’s nice to know I’m gaining real-life skills instead of theoretical knowledge.

What has been your favorite part of your experience so far? What has been the most challenging part?

My favorite part of the program was being able to learn from experienced professors who are also accomplished and frum businesspeople. It was particularly inspiring to realize just how many of my teachers are young frum mothers who are successful at their jobs while raising families. I also appreciated that Mrs. Flaumenhaft was always there to guide me throughout the process, cheering me on and helping me succeed.

One of the more difficult parts for me was the accounting course, which required a lot of hard work and studying to get through. It can also be challenging to balance work, school, home life, and Coopersmith exams. I recommend that incoming students use the weeks between semesters to take their Coopersmiths because it will be easier to juggle everything when those are not added to the semester workload. I personally made the most of my breaks and used the time to study and pass as many exams as possible.

What skills or strengths do you think are important for success in the field of Business?

Excel skills are key in accounting and finance, and I wish I had taken a course beforehand to learn the basics because it wasn’t intuitive to me. For marketing, you need to be more of a creative person and think outside the box. What’s interesting is that many times you have to work on solutions to problems that don’t exist yet for a particular product or service. It requires a lot of forethought about what issues will come up and how to combat them to propel a business to success. Overall, in this program and career, it's important to be motivated and disciplined.

How much time do you usually spend on coursework outside of class?

Each semester is different. In my first semester, I took five classes and probably spent about three hours per week on assignments. During finals I spent much more time studying, but most courses are very manageable if you stay on top of the work and ask a lot of questions.

How does the schedule fit with your lifestyle?

The flexibility of the program is amazing. Since classes are only two or three times a week, you have ample time to complete homework assignments and it also allows you to have a social life and a job if you choose. I subbed in an elementary school because I felt it was the most flexible option and gave me the ability to not work during finals and fully concentrate on school. I wanted work experience, but school was always my main priority.

How would you describe the support you receive from Sara Schenirer staff and professors?

The network of support at Sara Schenirer is amazing! Honestly, it has been the best part of my experience and allowed me to earn my degree in an encouraging and supportive environment. Mrs. Flaumenhaft, my adviser, is always available and usually responds to my emails within a day (most of the time within just a few hours!) and the Coopersmith proctoring team at the Five Towns branch (shoutout to Yakira and Charna Rochel) are so reliable and have helped me throughout this process.

What advice would you give to new students starting out? What do you wish you knew before you began?

Go for it! Everyone at Sara Schenirer will work with you and you will enjoy the experience. What’s particularly great about the business program is that all the classes cater directly to the degree and help you develop specific skills as a businessperson. One thing I didn’t realize was how much accounting goes into a business degree. Accounting wasn’t a strength for me so it didn’t seem so exciting to take that course, but when I got to the end and understood the whole picture, I realized it was worth it. There may be classes you don’t necessarily love, but after you finish the program and have a broad view of business, you’ll appreciate how important those skills are and it will give you confidence to go into a workplace and be able to succeed. You need to have a little bit of forward-thinking because it all eventually pays off.

What are your goals after earning your degree? How is your education helping prepare you for those goals?

My education is invaluable to me and has given me broad business knowledge along with a specified skill set within the field of marketing. I am particularly interested in branding, event planning, and social media marketing. If I could choose a job that would make me happy, it would be a position related to personal or company branding working on projects like logo creation and ad campaigns.