The spirit of mentorship
If there’s one person who has been a constant throughout Amanda Buschke’s BA’23, MBA’25 Willamette experience, it is JELD WEN Professor of Free Enterprise Debra Ringold. As a Willamette undergraduate, Amanda studied Economics and was also able to take several business classes, including Ringold’s undergraduate marketing courses. Learning the ins and outs of marketing research and strategy in Ringold’s classroom convinced Amanda to pursue her Willamette MBA.
As an MBA student, Amanda took her marketing knowledge to the next level, serving as a teaching assistant for multiple classes for Ringold and Assistant Professor of Strategic Management Jim Ostler. She says the experience has made her “more empathetic and a better communicator, both personally and professionally.”
The spirit of mentorship she received from caring and supportive professors like Ringold and Ostler extended to everyone she met in the program.
“I’ve met people in this program who have encouraged me to take risks and supported me no matter the outcome. I know my colleagues well and can rely on them,” Amanda says.
“Without the Willamette community I have come to know, I may never have gotten to where I am today, both as a professional and an individual.”
A dream job
The support helped her maintain academic excellence while taking on a range of jobs and leadership opportunities. A first-generation college student, Amanda supported her academic career by working several jobs, from nannying to a researcher role on a gubernatorial campaign. She also learned how to manage a team as a City of Hood River project manager through the MBA’s Practical Application for Careers and Enterprises (PACE) program. The program — a combination of career services, learning business practices, and a six-month consulting project for not-for-profit clients — put Amanda directly in the driver’s seat, impacting affordable housing initiatives in Hood River, OR.
“Being a PACE project manager gave me a leadership opportunity unlike anything else I had experienced in my educational career,” Amanda says. “It gave me a range of skills outside of what you can learn from a classroom, which has helped me advance in the job search process.”
Now, Amanda is ready to take on a new job in her dream field: a marketing coordinator role at the Oregon Restoration Company.
What were some of the highlights of your time at Willamette?
- Working as the PACE Project Manager for the City of Hood River
- Serving as President of the Atkinson Marketing Association
- Serving as PACE Teaching Assistant for Jim Ostler
- Serving as a Teaching/Research Assistant for Debra Ringold
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