Getting involved at MBS: Rodney Brown
By Seth Robinson
What do competitive dance, Biomedicine, Education and Event Management all have in common? For Master of Management student Rodney Brown, they’ve all been part of the experience that have brought him to MBS.
Growing up, Rodney Brown loved all kinds of sports: AFL, soccer, tennis, and Dancesport, which he still teaches and competes in with the University of Melbourne team. It was this same love of sport that led him to study biomedicine in his undergrad, and later a Diploma of Teaching. It’s a diverse range of experience, which finally brought Rodney to MBS and the Master of Management.
‘I think I eventuated at MBS because of my breadth experience across bioscience, and my education degree. I’m passionate about people, which I think pulled me into both those things, and I think business was always there. It just took me a while to realise it. I love to compete, and I love the strategy and challenge of it. That’s why I think consultancy would be a good spot for me, because I like the breadth and changing nature of the projects.’
Along with his studies, Rodney works part-time with Kensington based consultancy firm IER, a role that sees him working on sports, arts and cultural events. He’s also an Event Manager for the Melbourne Business School Students' Association (MBSSA). They’re roles that go hand in hand (his work with MBSSA helped him connect with IER), in a field that’s captured Rodney’s interest. At present, his focus is on planning MBSSA’s inaugural alumni networking night.
‘We’re aiming to capture a breadth of alumni, who can share their experience, and provide MBS students with the opportunity to tap into that knowledge. We’re planning to have an elevator pitch at the start of the night, so the alumni can get up and do a quick spiel about where they’re from and what they’ve done. It’s a bit of an experiment, because I haven’t seen it done at an alumni night before. I think this way we can facilitate some initial discussion. We’ve had some great alumni interest; I think for them it’s a great opportunity to contribute and give back to this community they were once part of.’
This sense of community seems to have defined Rodney’s time at MBS. He’s made the most of his time and connected with his peers in the MBSSA, the university and its clubs.
‘I think with the MBS community you get back what you put in. Get involved, that’s what set me up with the social networks I have now, and provided me with the skills that are going to be essential in my future career.’