SNHU Spotlight: Melanie Martinez, MBA in Music Business Grad

In spring of 2023, Melanie Martinez '23G traveled all the way from Chicago, Illinois, to celebrate a major accomplishment at the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. She was graduating with a Master of Business Administration (MBA), taking a big step forward toward her dream of working in the music industry.

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) offers more than 15 types of MBA concentrations to choose from. For Martinez, that choice was an easy one. She decided to earn her MBA in Music Business to move closer to her career goals.

Martinez noted that SNHU’s program was flexible enough that she was able to pursue a degree while working full time. “It was nice to be able to find a program that had that balance, where I could balance my professional life, my academic life, but also my personal life outside of school and work,” she said.

It took a lot of effort, but by Commencement, Martinez finished her program and was able to land a volunteer position at a local music company in Chicago. She said her degree helped her get there, and she plans to work her way up from her current role and see where it takes her. “I'm hoping to recruit talent into the music company," she said. “There's a big music scene in Chicago.”

Her parents also traveled from Illinois to celebrate this accomplishment with her. “They're my biggest supporters,” Martinez said. “Although pursuing a job in the music industry is tough, they really support me in pursuing my dreams.”

She said her MBA program made her realize she was capable of more than she knew.

“I feel a lot more confident in my ability,” she said. “I know that there's so much more that I'm able to do, and I know I have a lot of potential still to learn more and grow more in my life, even after graduating with my MBA.”

Mars Girolimon '21 '23G is a staff writer at Southern New Hampshire University where they earned their bachelor's and master's, both in English and creative writing. In addition to their work in higher education, Girolimon's short fiction is published in the North American Review, So It Goes by The Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, X-R-A-Y and more. They're currently writing their debut novel, which was Longlisted for The First Pages Prize. Connect with them on LinkedIn.