Lauren Leedberg '18

"Management is about knowing how to help people succeed," says Lauren Leedberg '18. "What I've learned won't just help me go further, but will help the people around me as well."

Leedberg's seen that willingness to help play out in her own life. "I've had so many mentors during my time here at Bryant. Every step of the way I've had incredible advice," she says. "They've been so important to me that it's my goal now to become someone else's mentor – because of the difference they've made in my own life."

"I've never felt like a number at Bryant," says Leedberg. "I know my professors and the faculty and the staff and every single person is here to help  you. I found support here that I wouldn't have had anywhere else."

An Honors student and member of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, she formed close bonds with her professors, including Professor of Management Lori Coakley, Ph.D., and Professor of Marketing Suki Yoon, Ph.D. "They take the time to talk to you, not just about what's happening in class or a topic in their field, but to get to know you," Leedberg states. "You can talk about what's going on in your life and they care about you and want to help."

Leedberg also took advantage of Bryant's award-winning Amica Center for Career Education in charting her course. She found an internship with athenahealth, a leading provider of network-enabled services and mobile applications for medical groups and health systems, through Amica's Bryant Career Connection, an online resource that helps students explore hundreds of professional positions, internships, and employer and career events. "My internship with athenahealth was incredibly important," she says. "It taught me new skills and gave me hands-on experience."

They were so impressed with her work they offered her a job before graduation – as did five other companies she found through Amica. "Having the ability to choose what you want to do is incredible at 22 years old," notes Leedberg. She, of course, talked through the offers with Professor Coakley and her other mentors.

Ultimately, Leedberg chose to begin her professional career with athenahealth. "I wanted to help make a difference," she says. "Working in healthcare technology and being able to help doctors and patients makes me feel connected to a great cause."