When Matthew Foster M.B.A. ’20 was ten years into his career as Director of Parks and Recreation for the Town of Farmington, a few mentors encouraged him to pursue a master’s in business administration degree to help open up future opportunities.
All three of his mentors had gone to Thomas for their part-time MBA program and recommended it highly. As a working father of three children at the time, he decided to go for it and ended up completing his degree in two and a half years.
“Not only do I feel like I received a great education, but I also left Thomas with a strong network. The part-time MBA program was full of other professionals like me. They had children, busy jobs, and were spending many nights and weekends studying just like me. I met people from all over the state who all had such diverse backgrounds. I still stay in touch with several of them, building a nice network of successful professionals to lean on,” said Matthew.
Since graduating from Thomas, Matthew now has a new job as the Supervisor of the State of Maine’s Off-Road Vehicle ATV Program and oversee the State’s six thousand mile network of ATV trails while also managing contracts, construction projects, and approximately 5 million dollars in grant programs to help support and maintain the state’s ATV network.
“I am most proud of the positive relationships I was able to build with co-workers, other organizations, and the public that I have served for over 15 years, providing recreational opportunities to the people of Maine. My coursework at Thomas focused on organizational culture, human resource management, financial management, and administration, which I believe helped me to become a greater asset to my employer as well as my employees,” said Matthew.
Overall, Matthew is glad that he took on such a big task of getting his MBA while being a working parent.
“Having such a flexible part-time MBA program that was full of other like-minded professionals was so valuable. Networking with others was easy, and the learning environment was superb, but the professors were the real highlight,” said Matthew. “All of the staff were professional, accommodating, and understanding of the difficulties that come with challenging yourself to pursue higher education while working full-time and being a father, husband, etc. The professors constantly challenged me, showing me that I was more capable than I had previously thought. Even though it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, joining Thomas College turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Instead of feeling like I am a middle-aged man settling into my career, I feel like I have a fresh start, and this is just the beginning for me.”
This story was originally published in the Spring/Summer 2025 Thomas Magazine. Read the full magazine.