KENNESAW, Ga. | Jul 1, 2019

KSU senior participates in business leadership program

Bradley Heath acknowledges that attending school in the United States was an adjustment after his family moved to metro Atlanta from the United Kingdom as he was starting high school. He has adapted quite well.

Now a rising senior at Kennesaw State University, Heath is in the Coles Scholars Program for the top students in the Michael J. Coles College of Business and is set to earn his finance degree next spring. He also recently participated in a weeklong residential education program hosted by one of the nation’s best business schools.

Heath was selected for the Harvard Business School’s Summer Venture in Management, which simulates being a student in Harvard’s renowned Master of Business Administration program. The summer program gives participants a broader understanding of challenges business leaders face, the many dimensions of the business world, and the impact they can have on their community and the world through business leadership.

“Being chosen for the program is the fruition of years of work,” Heath said. “It took some time to get used to the U.S. education system after I moved here, but I felt that coming to KSU was a chance to start fresh. There are tons of opportunities here, and I had the mindset that I was going to take the opportunities that are out there for me. I definitely didn’t do it alone, though; I’m thankful for my great support system of people who have helped me along the way.”

One of those opportunities was the Summer Venture in Management, where Heath took classes led by Harvard professors on current management issues. The participants analyzed real business cases and divided into study groups to examine and debate their ideas.

Joining Heath in the Harvard program were students from across the country, including several from schools recognized among the nation’s best. He credited the Coles College with preparing him well for the experience through his classroom learning, the faculty’s expertise and assistance, and the camaraderie among his fellow Coles Scholars.

“I think I was able to show that you don’t have to be from Yale or Columbia or Stanford to sit at the same table as them,” Heath said. “People say KSU is an up-and-coming school, but I think that it’s already here. There definitely is talent throughout our student body.”

With that in mind, Heath hopes other Kennesaw State students will pursue learning and leadership opportunities like the one he participated in at Harvard. At the conclusion of the program, he was asked to be a Harvard Business School ambassador to help promote the Summer Venture in Management.

The application process for the program included writing an essay that gave an example of Heath demonstrating leadership. Heath, who served two terms in student government at Kennesaw State, wrote about his experience working with another student senator to establish a learning community for degree-seeking students with disabilities.

“That was one of my proudest accomplishments,” Heath said. “It meant a lot to me personally.”

Heath aspires to attend the Harvard Business School for its dual Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration program after he graduates from Kennesaw State next May. One of Heath’s career goals is to return to the London area to work as an executive for a soccer team, since he is a huge fan of the sport from growing up in the U.K.

“I don’t think I was quite ready to graduate yet, but then attending the program and seeing what my future could hold made me refocus,” Heath said. “As much as I’ve loved being at KSU, I’m ready to wrap up my time here and see what the next chapter holds.”

– Paul Floeckher

Photos by Jason Getz

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.