Excellence in a Discipline | 2024-25
Shelby Bytwerk
Excellence in a Discipline - Master of Business Administration
What is your favorite Seidman memory?
One of my favorite memories is traveling to Poland and the
Netherlands with my EMBA cohort. It was wonderful experiencing and
touring international businesses while immersing ourselves in the
incredible culture of the people we met. The connections we made and
the insights we gained about global business practices were truly
invaluable, and the warmth of the local hospitality made the entire
journey unforgettable. The time we spent together as a cohort, sharing
these experiences, created bonds that have lasted far beyond our
academic program.
Our building namesake – Bill Seidman – exhibited many
desirable traits of a leader such as an innovator, integrity,
curiosity, and future-minded. How did your experience at Seidman
help you develop one or more of these traits?
In our first class with Dean Lawson, she invited us to envision
the next ten years of our careers, encouraging us to think not just
strategically about our current roles, but with an eye toward the
future. This thoughtful challenge became a theme throughout all four
semesters of our EMBA journey and has truly transformed how I approach
my work today. Dean Lawson’s initial prompt sparked something
meaningful in me, creating a mindset shift that continues to influence
how I evaluate opportunities, make decisions and chart my professional
path forward.
What would you like people in the community to know about
Seidman graduates like you?
Seidman graduates have a desire to create meaningful, lasting
change in their communities. Our EMBA graduates are so much more than
just professionals—they are dedicated parents balancing family life,
bold entrepreneurs chasing their dreams, passionate advocates fighting
for what matters, and truly some of the most brilliant and inspiring
individuals I’ve ever had the joy of working alongside. The depth of
talent, heart, and vision in this group never ceases to amaze me, and
I feel incredibly fortunate to have shared this journey with such
remarkable people who continually strive to make our world better.
What is your career aspiration?
I’m incredibly proud and fortunate to have spent the past nine
years working for MillerKnoll here in West Michigan. When I joined the
EMBA program, my goal was to sharpen my skills, soak up as much
knowledge as possible and broaden my perspective. My career
aspirations have always centered around staying curious, pouring care
and attention into helping people grow and develop and creating a
culture of continuous improvement. This journey has been such a
rewarding one, and I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to
combine my passion for learning with my love for what I do at MillerKnoll.
How did your time at Seidman College prepare you to contribute
to your community as a Laker for a Lifetime?
My time at Seidman College has opened my mind to the wonderful
ways business can positively touch lives throughout our West Michigan
community. During our Capstone project, my cohort members and I had an
amazing opportunity to channel everything we'd learned into supporting
Kids Food Basket—a wonderful local nonprofit dedicated to fighting
food insecurity among school-age children.
It felt meaningful to pour our newfound knowledge into something that makes such a tangible difference in young lives here at home. Being able to give back while using all the valuable insights from our EMBA journey has prepared me in the most heartwarming way to continue contributing as a proud Laker for a Lifetime. The connections between our classroom learning and real community impact have shown me just how powerful business education can be when it's guided by compassion and purpose.
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