Anne Halsey MBA ’17 grew up in a small town, where the only after-school jobs she had to choose from were working at the general store, slinging pies at the local pizzeria or doing landscaping. Always a competitive spirit, she chose landscaping, an unlikely path for a 5-4, 110-pound teenager.

For five years, Halsey worked outside, specializing in perennial gardening. It was challenging for sure, but the grind eventually took its toll, and she started to consider what she might do for a permanent career.

“After looking at all my options,” she recalls, “finance provided me all the things I wanted out of a career: mental challenge, stability, and the ability to support myself.”

Halsey enrolled at the University of New Hampshire, where she earned a degree in business administration, accounting and finance. She eventually landed a position with NxStage Medical Inc., a leader medical technology company that specializes in products and services for people suffering from kidney disease. In her role in financial planning and analysis (FP&A), she supports NxStage’s international division regarding pricing decisions, contract implementation, revenue and OPEX (operating expense) forecasting, as well as monthly reporting.

“Understanding the value of a dollar and all its possibilities is why I love the FP&A field,” says Halsey. “Knowing what that dollar represents, what it can be, and the different options you have when acting on that dollar makes the difference between a successful business and a hobby. In the FP&A field, the opportunity is there to see the impacts of a business decision from inception to implementation and how that hard-earned dollar is put to use.”

Halsey’s competitive spirit soon took hold again.

“This drive to succeed and broaden myself in my career is what ultimately drove me to pursue my MBA,” she says. “It also helped that my younger sister, Amanda, is currently working toward her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado. My competitive side could not have my younger sister being a full two levels of education above me. Being one level below her is already a concession I have come to accept!”

Working Around a Full-Time Job

With a master’s degree in her sights, Halsey started the process of narrowing down her choices of school. Finding a program she could complete while working full time was a key factor.

“As part of the dynamic International division at NxStage medical, my schedule is not always predictable and I often work long hours which would make it difficult to adhere to a classroom only atmosphere,” she says. “This limitation made it clear during my grad program search that, if I wanted to earn an MBA while working, I needed a program that gave me the freedom to meet the demands of my current career while still providing a robust educational experience. These are the things which drew me to the Bentley MBA program.”

The flexibility paid off for Halsey, who sometimes finds herself taking Bentley classes while on assignment on another continent.

“Bentley’s combination of interactive online streaming and on-campus lectures provides the flexibility to earn a world-class education while maintaining a meaningful career,” she says. “I’ve been able to attend class real time while traveling internationally. Just this past summer, I was able to attend a Negotiating class while on a business trip in London. Although the time difference makes things interesting, I was able to meet the requirements of my job, without sacrificing my education.”

Keeping the Cup Full

Halsey’s work on NxStage’s international team has her working with clients and colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds. It’s one of the biggest challenges of her day-to-day role, but also one of her favorite aspects of the job.

“The most successful people I have encountered in my career have a true sense of perseverance,” she says. “When everyone views the glass as half empty, these people see the glass half full then immediately plan on how to fill the remaining half to the brim.”

And while she keeps her life, and career, filled to the brim, Halsey credits Bentley with giving her an education that’s prepared her for whatever comes next.

“The combination of flexibility and quality is something the MBA program at Bentley reliably delivers to its students,” says Halsey. “To me, the Bentley MBA is the embodiment of freedom for the working professional.”