MBA graduate: 'Once a Sun Devil, always a Sun Devil'


April 26, 2023

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2023 graduates.

Jamie Heuremann, a proud Arizona native from Scottsdale, began her academic journey with more questions than answers. When weighing her options about her career direction, she found that personal introspection was needed. Jamie Heuermann This spring, Jamie Heuremann will graduate with an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business in addition to a diploma notation and Master's Distinguished Medallion for graduating with a cumulative 4.0 GPA. Download Full Image

“Like so many young business majors who come to Arizona State University, I wasn’t entirely clear on the direction of my career,” she said. Through the support of her professors and academic advisors, the next best step became more apparent.

“Once Professor Eddie Davila introduced me to supply chain management, I knew I’d found my calling," she said.

Motivated by this newfound direction, Heuremann knew it was time to dive in. She relocated to study in Wellington, New Zealand, for six months during her undergraduate program and earned two degrees at ASU, double-majoring in economics and supply chain management. Once she returned to Arizona, Heuremann attended Barrett, the Honors College and was involved in the Leaders Academy within the W. P. Carey School of Business. After graduating in 2016, she worked in trucking and freight brokerage for C.H. Robinson, an industry-leading third-party logistics provider, for five years before returning to ASU to continue her education.

After years of dedicating her life to academics and career advancement, she looks forward to enjoying much-deserved vacation time with her fiancé and three dogs. She anticipates more free time to delve into side projects and hobbies like reading, knitting and baking.

“I enjoy traveling and exploring the many wonderful hikes Arizona has to offer; I love sharing its many joys with friends new and old," she said. 

This spring, she will graduate with an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business in addition to a diploma notation and Master's Distinguished Medallion for graduating with a cumulative 4.0 GPA. Heuermann elaborates on her love for Arizona and the strong belief that once a Sun Devil, always a Sun Devil.

Question: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?

Answer: I have learned so many wonderful things while attending ASU. It’s hard to choose any one thing, but one of the most important things I have learned is how to leverage different peoples’ strengths to accomplish more together than any individual could. It’s something I practiced both inside and outside the classroom, and I highly encourage students to put themselves in the way of opportunities to practice collaboration. 

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: I chose ASU because I loved Arizona and wanted to stay in-state for college. I also knew I wanted to pursue a business degree, and W. P. Carey is the best business school in the state. Once I began to consider returning to school for my MBA, there was only one option for me. Once a Sun Devil, always a Sun Devil!

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: I have learned so many valuable things, but one that I think will continue to pay dividends throughout the rest of my career is how to effectively organize and design a spreadsheet so someone else can look at it and understand what is going on. It sounds simple, but it was never something I considered beforehand, and I can already see what an impact it will have on the rest of my career. Thank you, Professor Reynold Byers, for sharing this superpower.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you would give to students?

A: Take at least one finance class — especially personal finance. You’ll learn so many great and practical things in your course of study, whatever it is, but every student needs to know the basics of managing their finances once they graduate. I promise it could save your credit score.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life? 

A: My favorite spot on campus is the patio outside McCord Hall. I love the beautiful shade trees and the water fountain. It’s such a beautiful place, and it’s just as great for spending time with friends between classes as it is for studying. 

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: My immediate plans post-graduation are to take a few well-earned trips with my fiancé and friends for about a month; then, I’ll start as an associate with W.L. Gore & Associates in their medical-device division. In the long term, I look forward to furthering my experience in project management and finding new areas of supply chain analytics to stretch my expertise.

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: I would like to use that money to fund and support the expansion of universal basic income trials. I firmly believe that the quality of our country’s economy would improve if everyone had a little more support. I hope these efforts will show the powers that be that there’s an effective alternative to traditional welfare programs that can make better use of public funding with better market outcomes.  

Marketing Content Specialist, Graduate College

High school students visit ASU to explore careers in education


April 26, 2023

Educators are increasingly using personalized learning, technological tools and team-based models to enhance student learning. For Dobson High School senior Christine Peralta, 18, these developments have solidified her interest in the education profession as she begins her own journey to become an elementary school teacher.

“I enjoy coming up with new approaches and projects that make learning fun,” said Peralta, who is planning on attending Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. “I want my students to be excited to come to school every day and be energized to do their best.” Christine Peralta sitting at a table with other students. Christine Peralta, 18, is among more than 600 students who are part of Mesa Public Schools’ Career Technical Education — Education Professions Program. Photo courtesy Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College/ASU Download Full Image

Peralta is among 617 students who are part of Mesa Public Schools’ Career Technical Education — Education Professions Program, which was created to identify students who have demonstrated aptitude or interest in becoming an educator. This month, more than 50 grade nine–12 students had a chance to see what their future might look like at a college campus during a conference that was hosted by the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and held by Mesa Public Schools, the largest public school district in Arizona.

Some, such as Peralta, have already chosen to pursue university or college programs.

“These future teachers will be joining the profession at an exciting and critical juncture as learning approaches evolve,” said Carlyn Ludlow, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College clinical associate professor and associate director of undergraduate programs in the division of teacher preparation. “Preparing these students with a strong pedagogical foundation and an innovator's mindset ensures that they are prepared to contribute as individuals, as part of team-based models and through leadership opportunities.”

Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College has worked closely with Mesa Public Schools to support K–12 teacher pathway efforts and the advancement of team-based classroom models that are based on the college's Next Education Workforce initiative. In these models, teachers work on teams instead of working as one teacher, alone, in one classroom. This allows teachers to identify their unique expertise to deliver deeper and personalized learning to all students. 

An increasing number of students in the Mesa Public Schools' Education Professions Program are participating in schools that incorporate the team-teaching approaches that are core to the Next Education Workforce initiative, which means they may be even more prepared to participate in schools using these models. Such approaches align with the goal of the Career Technical Education — Education Professions Program to strengthen educator pathways and retention.

A study of school-based Next Education Workforce models by Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Education Policy, which was based on Mesa Public Schools teacher surveys, indicates that educators in these models are more satisfied, collaborate more and believe they have better teacher-student interactions than educators in traditional staffing models. 

“It’s important for future educators to understand that the way that we learn, and the way that they will teach and design instruction for learning, is continuously evolving,” said Tracy Yslas, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at Mesa Public Schools. “These students have expressed interest in being part of that evolution, and they also see an opportunity to deepen their own learning through the team-based models being used at our schools.”

During the event at ASU, students learned about different ways to develop lesson plans, the advantages of team-based teaching models and the steps it takes to become a teacher. 

“Our goal is to encourage more students to explore education as a career path, and this conference reinforces that by getting students to literally step into a learning environment where they might start to see themselves outside of high school,” said Marlo Loria, director of career and technical education and innovative partnerships at Mesa Public Schools.

At the conference, students participated in workshops about how their career path might evolve from teacher to educator leader and other administrative roles. They learned about the steps involved in earning a degree from Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College student outreach advisors, and participated in project-based activities. In one room, students took turns playing with puzzles and toys while identifying how these exercises connect to specific learning objectives. 

Eileen Lopez Dominguez, 18, who attends Mesa High School, says she is excited about what the future holds.

“I want to inspire others through education to help them reach their fullest potential,” said Dominguez, who is planning to pursue her studies at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. “Being a teacher means you have the potential to make a huge impact in the lives of the people you are teaching and make our communities even stronger.”

Mesa High School student Ali Macias, 18, says she is drawn to becoming an educator because she believes strongly that everyone should have the opportunity to learn and better themselves.

“I wish more people would consider becoming educators because there is so much reward you get from helping someone learn and grow,” Macias said. “The thing that excites me, too, is that there are so many opportunities to learn and grow as an educator yourself.”

Anna Cearley-Rivas

Communications Director, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College