3-Time NC State Alumnus to Graduate With Jenkins MBA

This article was originally posted on Dec. 16, 2019, by Elizabeth Beal for NC State News.

This year, 3,435 students will turn their tassels for Fall Commencement on Dec. 19. For many students, the path to their degree was anything but straightforward.

Full-time jobs. Online classes. Families. Careers. Years away from the classroom. Second guesses and second chances. These students prove that just because life happens, it doesn’t mean graduation can’t.

Benjamin Tennant

Benjamin Tennant will soon become a three-time NC State alumnus, with degrees in business administration and accounting, and, this fall, a Jenkins MBA with a graduate certificate in Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization.

“I wanted to pursue an MBA to build upon my work experience and broaden my opportunities,” he says. “Plus, I enjoyed the community of like-minded, ambitious and mostly local students.”

The unique combination of online and in-person classes builds success into the program for busy students. “That flexibility allows students to gain as much value as possible from the program,” Tennant says.

While attending classes in Nelson Hall, Tennant met one of the founders of Tethis, a leading biomaterials company launched by three NC State graduates. The professional relationship that followed opened the door to his next career move with the company, where he’s been hired as controller.

With a handful of degrees and business connections from NC State, Tennant is Wolfpack through and through. “I live right outside Raleigh and really enjoy being so close to a university that has served me so well,” he says. “I look forward to giving back to the community.”

Read more graduating student profiles here.