Gavin Dauer ’22, MA’24 always envisioned working in business.
“I really enjoyed economics in high school and I knew I wanted to study in the
undergraduate business program,” said Dauer. “So combining those subjects in the BA/MA program at Brandeis International Business School was a perfect fit.”
Dauer is also a lifelong baseball player. After pitching for the Brandeis Judges as an undergraduate, he was eager to continue his playing career as a graduate student.
“I always wanted to earn a master’s degree,” said Dauer, who still had two years of eligibility to play a sport because of the pandemic. “The opportunity to continue playing baseball helped me make the decision to do it now, rather than come back and do it down the road.”
Dauer is among an increasing number of student athletes who in recent years have chosen to stay at Brandeis after graduation to earn their master’s degree. The International Business School offers three dual degree programs for Brandeis undergraduates — the
BA/MA,
BA/MSBA and
BA/MBA.
After studying economics as an undergraduate, Stephanie Borr ’22, MA’23 was eager to build her skills and knowledge in finance. Her time as a student worker at the International Business School’s
Career Strategies and Engagement Center (CSE) also gave her a front-row seat to all the BA/MA program had to offer.
“When I started working at CSE and met students at the business school and heard about their classes, I wanted to take them too and learn more about these specialized topics,” said Borr. “Developing technical skills was a priority for me. The classes at the International Business School helped me do that.”
Borr also relied on the advice of other student athletes when it came to balancing practice, training and games with the demands of a graduate program.
“People on other teams were doing the BA/MA, so talking to them about their fifth-year experience helped me make my decision to enroll,” she said.
Both Dauer and Borr have converted their academic ambition into job opportunities. After making a strong impression as an intern at Bank of America, Borr was offered a full-time job offer after graduation. Dauer is currently balancing his course load at the International Business School with part-time work in commercial lending.
Playing — and staying — at Brandeis is paying off.
“The relationships I’ve developed at Brandeis are a huge contributor to me returning,” said Dauer. “My professors, coaches, teammates and classmates — everyone has welcomed me with open arms.”
