How One Student Found Further Success in OBU’s International Business Program

March 16, 2017

Earning a master’s degree from Oklahoma Baptist University doesn’t just affect your professional life — it can truly leave an impact on you personally. For Jordan Belt, it did just that.

Jordan Belt is someone you would want to talk with on a bad day. He has a calming demeanor and a positivity that instantly lifts your mood. This might come from his personality, but a larger part of it is because of his faith and general goodwill toward people. Belt is unquestionably a people person, which has served him well throughout his career spent mostly in staffing and recruiting.

Belt’s professional path started at Baylor University in Texas, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in medical humanities. “I have always desired to work within the healthcare industry and I saw the Talent Acquisition profession as an opportunity to serve others without being at the actual clinical bedside, but rather on the business side of things,” he said.

Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree, Belt married his wife Tina. They share a passion to serve communities and make a difference in people’s lives. “My wife is a pediatrician,” he said. “We both wanted to find a profession where we could contribute to human flourishing and improve communities.”

In 2010, Belt and his wife moved to Oklahoma where he joined the staff at an inner-city church and she completed her Pediatric residency. After his wife completed her residency, Belt began working at Foundation Medical Staffing, a top Oklahoma staffing company. It was at this time he began the search for the right university to complete his graduate degree.

Finding the Right Graduate Program and University

Belt researched MBA programs located in Oklahoma City because he didn’t want to commute, but acquaintances kept bringing up OBU. Belt was uncertain about enrolling at OBU since it’s located in Shawnee, until he learned the OBU MBA program was located in Oklahoma City.

Belt turned his attention to OBU and immediately recognized the opportunities. “After further research, I chose to get my MBA from OBU for many reasons,” Belt said.

Belt recognized the similarity between his and OBU’s outlook on business. “While many universities teach their students that business success is measured by achieving a financial bottom line, OBU taught its students that while profits are necessary, the impact of business is also measured by its ability to serve people and the community.” The faith-based aspect also attracted Belt to the program, although it wasn’t a requirement for him.

He appreciated that OBU offered an international business track. “There is no denying the reality that the world is globalized and people from every nation are engaged in business,” Belt said.

Belt was increasingly impressed with the professors while attending OBU. “I was impressed by the academic level of all the MBA professors at OBU, they seemed to be a good mix of business practitioners and scholars,” he said. “With their depth of international experience they were able to help us think critically about global business issues.”

Belt specifically mentions Dr. John Cragin, professor of social entrepreneurship and international business, and his vast global business experience. Belt said Cragin’s class was key to his education and that he would redo the degree just to take Cragin’s class again.

Personalized Experiences and Lifetime Memories Made at OBU

OBU professors take a personal interest in all students during their time at OBU and beyond. Belt quickly recognized that commitment — he remembers when Dr. David Houghton, dean of the Paul Dickinson School of Business at OBU, reached out to him and discovered that Belt had traveled abroad to Central Asia and wanted to return. Houghton was able to make his dream come true and Belt, alongside his peers and Dr. Houghton, traveled to Central Asia for their International Business Practicum.

On the practicum, Dr. Houghton, Belt and his classmates met with companies in the area and learned about their businesses, gaining insight into the companies’ inner workings. Belt was also given the opportunity to teach a class, alongside Houghton, to students at a local university. Belt, with his experience in the staffing industry, taught a class to students on how to apply for jobs, build resumes and the basics of working with American recruiting agencies. The overseas practicum lasted ten days and was an experience that Belt will never forget.

Meaningful Education and Application for Careers

Belt explains how the education he received was immediately transferable, leading him to dream bigger. He considered the difference he could make in people’s lives from a global perspective. “I began to think how we could engage in global cities,” Belt said. “While working at my company in Oklahoma, I started consulting for a business partner from Durham, North Carolina, who ran an international staffing firm.”

Belt had a full-time job, consulting job and family responsibilities to uphold while completing his master’s degree, so being able to set his own pace each semester made all the difference in completing his degree. “OBU at multiple times during my MBA career were accommodating to my other commitments and worked with me to schedule courses accordingly,” Belt said. “With three kids under the age of four, going at my own pace was necessary.”

Once Belt graduated from the program, he made the career decision to turn his consulting job into a full-time and moved his family to North Carolina. Today, Belt serves as the Director of Talent Acquisition and Global Development for Turas Group, a global staffing firm.

“One thing I want to emphasize is that our current volatile times in society grant us both a challenge and a gift. We are challenged to figure out how our businesses can be profitable and at the same time contribute to human flourishing – businesses that figure this out are a gift,” Belt said. “OBU did a great job of preparing me for these challenges by helping me develop a mind for business and a heart for people.

If a master’s in international business seems like the perfect degree to develop your passion, contact us today!