The RRU MBA helped me grow into a more strategic leader and advance my career with confidence
My name is Mark Stokes. I graduated with my MBA from Royal Roads University in 2024 with a specialization in leadership. I can say, without hesitation, that my RRU MBA experience has been one of the highlights of my learning, career, and life journeys— an experience that I’d recommend to others who, like me, want to expand their perspectives, challenge their minds, and reignite their passion for lifelong learning.
Like many of my fellow students with years (even decades) of experience behind them, I entered the program in 2022 with confidence in my communication, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. However, the MBA program challenged me to take all of these skills to a higher level — to organize my thoughts by applying critical thinking frameworks, to evaluate the effectiveness of my written and verbal communication in a rigorous environment, and to solve problems in ways that focus on creating and delivering customer/stakeholder value. The learning outcomes in the MBA program are aligned to the real-world challenges of professionals like me, whether we work in for-profit, not-for-profit, or public enterprises; it’s that alignment that kept me focused on improving my skills and pursuing excellence throughout the program. I've often said that there was almost never a lecture, team activity, or project during my 31 months in the program that didn’t inspire me to apply my learnings at work the very next day.
My RRU MBA has helped me to advance my career, even in the year-and-a-half since I graduated. I’ve stepped into a new, more strategic role in my organization and the MBA credential through RRU was an important factor in that success. More importantly, though, the global perspective, focus on customer value, and understanding of strategy that I gained in the program have enabled me to contribute effectively in my new role. Plus, the deeper understanding of leadership that I gained in my specialization has made me a better coach, mentor, and leader, and that’s the most satisfying outcome of all.
Two features of the RRU MBA program made it a great fit for me. Firstly, the blended format allowed me to engage fully in my learning while maintaining my work and family obligations, and the two residencies at the beginning and end of the program provided an intensive and unforgettable team experience at the beautiful Colwood campus. However, the most important feature for me is the people — faculty who challenged me to think differently and who understood how to help me, as a mature student, to make the most of my learning journey and fellow students who became teammates and friends. I’m grateful for those important connections, several of which have extended well past graduation.