Jacob Ginn, Maryland Smith MBA Class of 2028
Age: 28
Hometown: Ambler, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Penn State University, Food Science Major
Pre-MBA Work Experience: 6 years in Quality Assurance at McCormick (Manufacturing, Distribution, Supplier, and Customer Quality Assurance)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Six years into McCormick, I had grown throughout the Quality Assurance organization, developed skills as a team manager, but I’d sit in a room with finance or procurement and realize I couldn’t keep up once the conversation turned to dollars and cents. The MBA is an intentional choice to become “dangerous” when discussing financial decisions and learn how to make a direct impact to the business while I’m still early in my career.
Why did you choose UMD Smith? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
A few things lined up at once: the location, being close to the Baltimore-DC corridor where I already had roots and a network; the small cohort size, which felt like a real community instead of getting lost in a huge program; and Smith’s reputation and alumni network carrying real weight in the region. The Sustainability coursework sealed it, and having the Center for Social Value Creation and the Center for Entrepreneurship right there gave me actual resources to gain hands on experience, not just electives on a page.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2028?
I’ve spent six years being the translator between the people running the equipment and the people running the business. My classmates get someone who’s actually stood on a manufacturing floor at 5am, not just read a case study about one.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I played in a ukulele band in undergrad (PSUkulele), and our biggest moment was performing live on stage at Penn State’s THON dance marathon at 4am. It was incredible: the crowd was still going strong, and by the time we walked out of the stadium the sun was coming up. Still the largest crowd we ever played for, and one of my favorite memories from undergrad.
Post-MBA career interests:
Sustainability or Customer Business Management in the food industry. While I’m still letting both play out, the throughline is I want to stay hands-on and not end up purely writing strategy decks from a distance.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Just apply. I’d been circling the idea of an MBA for a while, and it felt genuinely impossible right up until I actually submitted the application, at which point it suddenly felt possible. The hardest part was the decision to start, not the application itself.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Honestly, I’d have applied to a few more schools just to see what else was out there. I put all my eggs in one basket and only applied to UMD, so I never got to weigh other options side by side. It would have been interesting to know, even though Smith was my first choice the whole time and that hasn’t changed.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Asking for recommendation letters was nerve-racking. But I knew I had mentors in my corner who genuinely wanted to advocate for me, and that made it easier to just ask. Nerve-racking or not, it was completely worth it, and I’m grateful to the people who backed me.
What is your initial impression of the UMD Smith students/culture/community?
Kind and genuinely willing to help. It’s a small community, but that’s exactly what makes it work: everyone’s focused on creating real opportunities to learn, get hands-on experience, and lead. The alumni network is proud and the school’s reputation carries real weight, and even in a small full-time MBA cohort, there’s room to go deep on a niche path like sustainability instead of feeling boxed in.
What student organizations have you joined/are you hoping to join and why?
I’m excited to join Net Impact and get into sustainability-focused case competitions. I want real, hands-on reps on sustainability projects, not just classroom theory. I’m also working with the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, which I’m looking forward to for the foundational entrepreneurship principles, the chance to connect with founders, and getting to directly contribute to how the center actually runs.
What is one thing you have learned about UMD Smith that has surprised you?
I already loved turtles more than the average person, but I was still surprised by just how beloved Testudo the terrapin is across the whole UMD community. It’s a genuinely charming mascot, and I’m proud to call myself a Terp now.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Making new friends in a learning environment. It’s not that you can’t make friends at work, but it’s harder there. Here, everyone’s genuinely choosing to be in the room and pushing themselves to grow, and there’s something exciting about building friendships with people in that headspace.
