Meet first-year MBA student, Chiree Rice! Chiree was an undergraduate transfer student to UCR Business and participated in the global leadership program, Accelerated Business Leaders Education (ABLE), before being accepted into the MBA program at UCR’s A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management.  

Her experience in the ABLE program meeting UCR professors and collaborating with students from around the world, along with her team winning the Business Innovation and Strategy Competition, inspired her to continue her studies in business. Her goal is to learn about managing all aspects of a business so she can help small businesses in her community grow and thrive. She is particularly interested in learning about the franchise business model to help entrepreneurs own their own business. 

One of Chiree’s favorite classes is Organizational Behavior and Theory; she has enjoyed learning about leadership styles in the workplace. She also enjoys the Marketing Strategy class and the simulations that allow students to test theory and strategy and the impact their decisions have on the market.  

Over the summer before the start of the MBA program, Chiree participated in the business school’s #SUMMERwithUCR online program. “It was a fun way to meet fellow students…and see the different cultures of my cohort,” says Chiree. She so enjoyed the summer program she hopes to be involved in the future to support new students in their business graduate studies journey.