Stephen Price

As co-chair of Preview Weekend and Admit Weekend, Price knew his role was to “sell Olin.” And he was well prepared to field questions from prospective and new MBA students on campus life. What he didn’t expect, at the outset, was the effect helping organize the events would have on him.

“Digging down and thinking about what makes Olin unique validated my own choice. The process made me more passionate about the MBA program and more confident of my place at the business school.”

A behind-the-scenes look at faculty and staff was another side benefit, he says. “I got to see how committed, eager, and excited these folks are and how giving they are of their time.”

Why he pursued an MBA at Olin

Price was a physical therapist before he came to Olin, a profession described as “the science of healing and the art of caring.” His decision to pursue an MBA was “years in the making,” and, once he was ready, he wanted “to go to the best school possible.”

Price was looking for “practical application, not just theory, and a degree I could take, hold, and use. A lot of the Olin material was brand new to me, but, hey, that’s why I was there. Now, I have the skills to take on the challenges I’ll face at Humana.”

Advantages of the consulting and general management platform

“Before I came to Olin, I couldn’t have explained what a consultant really was. Now, I know the field is the perfect fit for me. Platform courses taught me how to communicate with clients, educate clients, and help clients apply business concepts.

“In addition, insights from the leaders in medicine and hospital administration who spoke in my healthcare-specific classes added a lot of value.”

On the benefits of a small class size

“Class size creates a tangible sense of community that can’t be overstated. I was walking on campus with my family, and the dean said, ‘Hi, Stephen’ as we passed by. That’s the way this place works. People know about your life in a good way. They’re genuinely collaborative. I’ll have my Olin connections in my back pocket for the rest of my career.”

On family

Price’s daughter Becca turned one year old the day his family left Boise and arrived in St. Louis. (His second daughter was born in March, year two of his MBA program) “It was a huge decision, moving my family to start a rigorous MBA program. Classmates might have thought ‘that’s so hard,’ but as it turns out, coming home to them after a difficult day gave me a healthy perspective and balance.”

His favorite course

“Favorite may not be the right word, but one of the classes I learned a lot from was accounting. Senior lecturer Tom Fields was amazing. He made the subject matter clear and interesting – and he enabled us to be successful at it.”