UAA College of Business and Public Policy

The College of Business and Public Policy's Leadership Fellows Program pairs high-performing CBPP students with a mentor in the Anchorage business community, giving students the opportunity to learn about real-world leadership from local business leaders. This year’s cohort includes 21 CBPP students, called protégés, and their mentors. To begin the program, each protégé interviewed their new mentor, and every week, we will feature one of these interviews with the mentors, who share their thoughts on leadership. This week’s featured protégé/mentor pairing is Meghan Carson, and her mentor, Walter Williams.

1 Where are you from? How did you decide to pursue a career in Alaska?  “I’m from Simi Valley, California. I went to school at UC Santa Barbara. I visited Alaska on a cruise and decided to give life up here a try.”

2 Where did you go to college? What did you study in college?  “I went to UC Santa Barbara and UAA. I got my Masters of Business Administration at UAA and took accounting classes. I got my undergraduate degree in Philosophy.”

3 Did you have anyone you relied on for mentorship/solid career advice? If yes, what is the most important leadership advice they shared with you?  “

I didn’t have a mentor in my undergrad. I had it at UAA with Dr. Kilpatrick and she emphasized that what you want to do is to pursue the best opportunities that are out there; to break glass ceilings. At the time, I was working at Fed Ex trying to get into the management program. I almost had my MBA and she talked about putting in time with accounting. She told me: ‘Keep your grades up, interview, put in your time.’ The hardest thing was put in your time, to learn as much as you can, and to know that it will pay off.

When I worked at KPMG, the best guidance I ever got was from my mentor/career coach as part of the African-American Network. He told me: ‘Don’t let any one person take you off of your career track. Any form of public accounting is stressful. You might encounter people that can ruin your day, your job, your month; but you cannot let them, no matter what, force you out of a career path.’ Sometimes decisions are a sacrifice whether it be travel, additional classes, additional hours. You have to decide: Is the immediate sacrifice worth long-term benefit? Finding where you are content sooner than later will help direct your career choices.”

4 It is important and beneficial for CBPP and Anchorage’s business community to collaborate and invest in the next generation of leaders. What do you think should be conveyed to our next generation of leaders?  “Pay it forward. Take the influences and opportunities and knowledge that you got, and share that wisdom with the next generation. The sooner you feel comfortable going back to campus to speak, the better. It is so rewarding. Get the students early in the studies, motivate them to do whatever it takes to perform, and they can have a world of opportunities. It’s an hour of my time, it’s enjoyable, and it helps so many people.”

5 CBPP will be highlighting each mentor and protégé pairing on the front of it’s website during the academic year. Do I have your permission to have this interview and our mentor/protégé pairing highlighted on the website? Is there anything else you would like to add? “Yes, that’s fine. No, there isn’t anything else I’d like to add.”