Mackenzie walks the fairway with her dad, Chuck, serving as her caddie
Mackenzie Laumann has no shortage of drive.
The former Northern Kentucky University golfer is still determining her career path, but she already has an advanced degree in her bag. Laumann graduated from the Master of Business Administration program at NKU in May 2019.
“When I hit my sophomore or junior year of undergrad, I started thinking about staying in school and getting my MBA,” she said. “I never had that ultimate dream job in mind or anything that I was chasing, so I was taking opportunities as they came. I love learning, so the thought of two more years of school didn’t bother me. When I finished undergrad, I felt the MBA was the right move.”
Laumann also racked up plenty of experience in athletics off the golf course. She was an athletic development intern and a graduate assistant in the NKU athletic department.
“I had started a couple of projects in the athletic department my junior and senior years,” she said. “That played a big part in my staying and getting my master’s degree. I knew that I could still make an impact in the athletic department and continue what I had started.”
The MBA also helped broaden Laumann’s horizons beyond the world of athletics. She landed an internship at DeanHouston, a marketing and advertising agency in downtown Cincinnati, after graduation.
“I didn’t want to close myself off from any other opportunities in other aspects of business,” she said. “I thought an MBA would better prepare me to get on a career path — whatever it may end up being. I want to get some experience outside of athletics because that’s all I have right now. I needed to do something different.”
Irons in the Fire
Laumann credits her love of sports to her father, Chuck, who taught her to play golf and taught and coached at Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati. He recently retired after notching his 1,000th combined career win while coaching basketball, soccer and baseball.
“I never had a lesson,” she said. “He taught me everything. Golf is a special bond we share…it’s ‘our thing.’ He shares something different with each of my three siblings and me which makes each of our relationships unique and special.”
Mackenzie and her boyfriend, Chace, at a Cincinnati Reds game
Laumann and her three siblings all graduated from Oak Hills High School and went on to earn college degrees – Morgan from the University of Cincinnati in 2014, Kelsey also from NKU in 2016, and Ben from Thomas More University this year.
“My mom also played a special part in my golf journey as well,” Laumann said. “She made it to all but one of my golf tournaments and gave me a smile and that extra push of encouragement when I needed it. It was great being able to really share my experiences with her.”
Family ties meant staying close to home for both degrees was important to Laumann, with her athletic and academic scholarships at NKU providing additional incentives to do so.
“I am a local girl,” she said. “My family is super close and super supportive. I wanted to experience something outside of athletics, but I realized that to grow in athletics and get to that next position, you more than likely have to be willing to relocate. I am not willing to do that right now because my whole family is here. My boyfriend also lives here.”
After starting as a business informatics major in her freshman year, Laumann switched to sports business and graduated in Spring 2017.
“I quickly realized I was more of a people person and needed that interaction,” she said. “Switching to sports business exposed me to that, getting into development and fundraising events.”
Laumann did the majority of the MBA program on campus, although she had a few online courses. The MBA program is also available 100% online.
“I decided to not go fully online because I was on campus anyway with my GA position,” she said. “I enjoyed taking a few online because of the convenience.
“I still felt like I was getting a valuable education and the course load stayed the same. I felt like I was getting that interaction with the professors that I needed through discussion boards. It worked out. It was extremely flexible.”
The MBA curriculum provided Laumann with practical, real-world knowledge and some fresh points of view.
“I didn’t really have a favorite course because I enjoyed all of them,” she said. “Every class discussion was fueled by different experiences and perspectives of those who were in class. There were many people with different backgrounds and the diversity added a lot of value.
“I am able to use what I have learned from my professors and peers and apply it to different work experiences.”
In the Clubhouse
Laumann celebrated her second graduation day from NKU in two years by walking the stage at commencement, but her connections made the day better for her family the second time around.
“I had already put my family through one graduation ceremony, and we all know how long they can be, so I pulled some strings and was able to get them an athletic suite in the arena for the second time around,” she said.
“My family’s support means everything to me,” she said. “Morgan, Kelsey, Ben and I are extremely close and are each other’s biggest fans. My boyfriend, Chace, is encouraging and supportive in anything I do. And my parents pushed me to be my best while remaining true to who I am. I credit my successes and accomplishments to them because without them, I honestly don’t know where I’d be.”
Since enrolling in the MBA program, Laumann has heard from several former NKU student-athletes inquiring about her experience.
“I told them all, ‘Just go for it,'” she said. “The professors are great. They will help you with any type of goal you have and work with you on scheduling and flexibility. Everybody I worked with has been a pleasure.
“Just because it’s online and you’re on a computer doesn’t mean you can’t learn from the other people you are in class with. You have discussion boards, Zoom and Skype sessions to enhance the learning experience.”
Laumann, who still hits the links, has already seen her knowledge come in handy at DeanHouston.
“Everything I have learned in undergrad and through the MBA program has been applied at some point in my work experiences,” she said. “My education at NKU has prepared me for anything I choose to take on, and I am excited for this new chapter to get started.”
While Laumann decides which direction to take her career, she believes earning a graduate degree will give her a competitive edge when the time comes.
“It makes me more marketable than just having a sports business undergraduate degree,” she said. “Doing my master’s proved that I could do that high-level work that’s needed. We had to focus on all different aspects of business, and I can definitely apply that experience in work. It’s rewarding, for sure.”
Learn more about the NKU online MBA program.
