John and Eric Monasevitch used the master’s of management program to guide their careers
John Monasevitch seemed destined for a career in medicine when he landed at the University of Denver in 2017.
Both of his parents were medical professionals, so he gravitated to a biological science undergraduate major, hoping to discover his passion along the way.
But he never found that spark.
Despite progressing through the major and reaching upper-level classes, John didn’t love biology and was left wondering what was next. It was too late for a major change, as he was rapidly approaching graduation, but he had a sliver of interest that he wanted to chase.
John had taken non-major classes in finance and investing at the Daniels College of Business toward the end of his undergraduate career and found himself drawn back to them when thinking about what else he could pursue.
So, when graduation came around, he decided to stay in school. He’d remain at the University and pursue a master’s of science in management from Daniels to help build a base of business skills. His goal was to pull the string on his finance passion, narrowing his career focus and broadening his industry connections.
John, left, and Eric Monasevitch.
“The MSM program served as an excellent way to facilitate that transition and get that foundation of business education,” he said. “It also provided opportunities to network and talk with people in the finance industry.”
The program came at the perfect time for John, helping him understand the career potential he had in the finance industry. It also made him realize that the program would be perfect for someone else in his life: his brother Eric.
“Eric and I were very similar before going into the MSM program. We both had an idea of what we found interesting, but we didn’t have a clear idea of how to pursue it or what opportunities were available,” he said. “I got so much out of the MSM program that I though Eric would have a similar experience.”
Eric, John’s older brother, walked a similar undergraduate path to his brother at the University of Oregon. He was a psychology major, focused primarily on research, and unsure of exactly where he’d land in the workforce. His early career built on that research background, and Eric landed at Axiom Resource Management, a healthcare consulting firm, as a health policy research analyst.
He enjoyed applying his research foundation to the role and was drawn to Daniels, first by his brother’s recommendation and then by his desire to grow at his company.
“Through conversations with John about what he was learning, hearing the value he was getting from his professors and the idea of pursuing informational interviews in the field, it seemed like a great opportunity for me to get into the MSM program,” Eric said. He started in September 2022, just months after his brother had graduated.
Both brothers highlighted the one-year program’s personal leadership curriculum, as it helped them determine their path forward after graduation. This was a distinct change for them, as their undergraduate biology and psychology degrees didn’t offer that freedom of self-exploration.
“The program had a strong focus toward personal development, recognizing what your career interests are and forming a plan to achieve those goals,” John said. “In the MSM program, you learn about yourself, figure out what that means, and use what you learn to pursue your career goals.”
In this customizable program, students build a strong foundation of business skills and leadership courses, while developing specialized skills in their field of choice. John focused on finance, landing at Charles Schwab after graduation, while Eric received a graduate certificate in strategic leadership in healthcare organizations.
Eric saw extreme value in Daniels professors sharing the twists and turns of their winding career path, showing that you can always pivot careers.
“For me, and the way that I think about my career and future, it’s nice to know that people who I think are successful didn’t have a linear path,” he said. “It can be very difficult to feel like you aren’t progressing in that [linear] fashion.”
He was also particularly thankful for his brother’s support, always available to answer questions and provide advice.
“It was a golden ticket for me,” he said.
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