His MBA opened up the world

After Bradly Boaz (MBA ’26) graduated with a BS from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, he had two offers in hand. One was for a full-time job and the other was an acceptance letter to UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Full-Time MBA Program.

Boaz felt the weight of the decision: At 22, he knew it would change the course of his life.

“I spoke with a mentor, and he gave me advice that really influenced my decision,” says Boaz. “He said, ‘You have two options. Think about it long term. Which one would you look back on and regret turning down?’”

That reframing made Boaz’s choice much clearer, he says. “I didn’t want to turn down UNC. I wanted to be part of it right then. That conversation helped me realize that getting an MBA isn’t just something you do for two years. It’s something that sticks with you for your entire career and lifetime.”

With his interest in healthcare, he was drawn to UNC by “how innovative the healthcare system is, how far ahead UNC is in research, how often they’re the first to do something,” he says. “That perspective really stuck with me. The UNC name stood out for innovation and leadership in healthcare and research.”

As a result of his desire to make an impact in healthcare, he took a leap of faith and applied only to UNC Kenan-Flagler. As an early-career MBA applicant, he was not sure of his chances. He felt “fortunate” when he was accepted and says the people he met at UNC Kenan-Flagler confirmed he made the right decision.

A sense of belonging

“Before I had my first day of class, before orientation, before any official ‘start,’ I received a handwritten letter from a UNC Kenan-Flagler student,” says Boaz. “It said something along the lines of, ‘We’re so glad you applied and that you were admitted. We would love to have you here and be a part of the culture. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.’ That note was a concrete example of the kind of people who make UNC Kenan-Flagler what it is. After going through the two-year program and graduating, I look back on that letter as a strong testament to the culture. UNC folks are UNC forever.”

When Boaz started the program and felt a little lost compared to more experienced students, he found help. While sitting in finance class and not understanding some terms and concepts, he could always look to classmates to get answers to his questions. His peers often provided valuable perspectives on how theories played out in practice.

Boaz was learning the Carolina Way.

“At a lot of places students are competing against each other,” says Boaz. “When I was interviewing with Bristol Myers Squibb for my internship, several of us were in the same process. We were doing mock interviews and Ross-style practice sessions together, helping each other prepare, regardless of who was in the interview pool. Our mindset was: ‘How can we make sure someone from UNC Kenan-Flager gets this opportunity?’ That kind of collaborative, supportive culture is truly special.”

Experiential learning

The camaraderie continued as Boaz engaged in experiential learning on campus. Through STAR (Student Teams Achieving Results), where students work on real-world consulting projects, Boaz worked with a healthcare client in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences space. He honed his skills and built credentials while reporting to a client and working with a team to solve a high-stakes, real-world problem.

Boaz in New Zealand

He also worked on a case competition in which a CEO from a healthcare company asked for solutions to a dilemma the organization was facing.

Boaz developed his global perspective by studying in business in New Zealand, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates. “That blending of academic development and life experience was made possible because of my MBA program,” says Boaz.

His studies broadened his horizons and exposed him to new ideas. In his first marketing class with Professor Kristopher Keller, he started thinking about exciting possibilities for his future.

“I thought marketing was mostly about commercials, making flyers, about the creative and fun surface-level stuff,” he says. “In that class, my boat was rocked. I realized there is a lot more to marketing than meets the eye. I discovered aspects of marketing that I hadn’t known existed — strategy, data-driven decision making, market segmentation and the combination of creativity with analysis. I loved it.”

Leading and learning

Boaz still wanted to pursue healthcare and decided that the best avenue for blending marketing and healthcare was in life sciences.

His next step was a summer internship at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) in Princeton, New Jersey.

“I stepped into a new function and a new sub-industry within healthcare-pharmaceuticals and life sciences,” he says. “Despite all that change, I really enjoyed the internship. Over 10 weeks, I met with hundreds of people in the company. The experience culminated in my final presentation, where I stood on stage and presented to vice presidents and executive leaders. I never imagined I’d be in a position to tell a VP or executive something they didn’t already know, but I had that opportunity and it was very empowering.”

In collaboration with the Vetter Dean’s Fellows Program, Boaz worked with classmates on a consulting project for the Red Cross to solve a data problem. The team created a Power BI dashboard to help the Red Cross turn raw data into usable, actionable information.

Boaz stood out as president of the Healthcare Club. He planned the career trek, which is “a powerful way for students to explore opportunities, meet employers and really understand companies up close.” The club took over 20 students on the trek, secured corporate sponsorship and visited companies, including Johnson & Johnson, for the first time.

“Going from planning everything on a screen to landing in New Jersey and walking through those companies’ doors was extraordinary,” says Boaz. “That experience of seeing an idea become reality and knowing it created real opportunities for classmates was incredibly meaningful.”

Boaz with the Healthcare Club

ROI of his MBA

As he embarks on his new BMS journey as a senior therapeutic area specialist in cardiovascular sales, Boaz reflects on his time at UNC Kenan-Flagler and is grateful for developing the “MBA mindset.” He has a new framework for identifying problems and opportunities and applying structured problem-solving steps to break down issues and proceed systematically.

His experiences at UNC Kenan-Flagler also boosted his confidence and has inspired him to consider launching a business someday.

“The MBA has instilled in me a can-do attitude, the opposite of imposter syndrome,” Boaz says. “Instead of feeling like I don’t belong or can’t do something, I now feel that most things are within reach if I’m willing to put in the work and learn. That mindset has expanded what I consider possible for myself.”