Alumni Greg Horvath, Daron Hebeler, and Mary Jennings are living proof that a Tech education can spark a lifetime of impact. Their stories help current and future Huskies imagine what's possible.
Aid to Navigation: Husky Alum Helps Next Generation Set a Course for Success
Greg Horvath is a competitive sailor who sees the parallels between managing the trials of a race and the challenges of a career. In addition to doing both, he's been the wind in many Huskies' sails.
During Michigan Tech's 2025 Give Back to the Pack 24-hour giving challenge, Horvath '85 and his wife Beth committed to a two-for-one match for all gifts to the alumni-endowed College of Business Management Information Systems (MIS) Scholarship.
Stepping up is not new for the couple, whose Michigan Tech memories date back to their days as young parents.
"We came to the Tech campus together with twins in tow, so we have very fond memories of raising the kids in Houghton," said Horvath. After he graduated with his MIS degree the couple settled downstate, where Beth enrolled at Central Michigan University and earned her accounting degree.
"We both enjoyed great careers at Dow," said Horvath, who served more than a decade in various director roles for the company before taking a position at KPMG US. "When I transitioned into the world of consulting, Beth retired to be a full-time grandmother and the general contractor as we built our home on Lake Michigan."
"I've stayed close to the College of Business ever since leaving Michigan Tech," Horvath said. "I was fortunate that the company I was with had a very strong relationship with MTU. This allowed me to stay well-connected to students and faculty as I engaged in campus recruiting over many years. Those Tech grads I helped recruit became great friends and coworkers. So this connection with people where we were all in a bit of an orbit around our Tech experience became—and remains— pretty special."
Horvath retired as managing director within KPMG's US IT Advisory group in 2023.
This year, the Horvaths traveled up to meet the latest MIS scholarship recipients during Winter Carnival, taking in a hockey game with fellow MIS majors Max Scharmm '25 and Ty Sheets '26. Horvath finds chatting with fellow Huskies easy and enjoyable. He's always happy to show new generations of Business Huskies the ropes.
"I never turn down a chance to guest lecture or hang out with today's grads," said the College of Business MIS Advisory Council member. "I mentioned earlier this group of people who have lived the Tech experience and have that connection. When I talk with recent grads you can tell it's still there, which is great."
Beyond scholarships, Horvath's professional advice is highly valued. He said his conversations with current students generally lead to discussing what their first career position will be after graduation. He also wants to know about their readiness to enter the profession.
"I leave them with a promise to help them in any way I can. And I always share the joy of staying connected with campus and remembering those who will come after them. It's really why several of us alums created the MIS Alumni Endowed Scholarship decades ago—to give MIS alumni a chance to give back," he said.
Asked what guidance he has for prospective students considering a career in MIS and how they should prepare for the future, he goes right to one of the global job market's hot-button topics.
"Since retiring from technology consulting a mere two years ago, I'm struck by the impact AI is having everywhere. It really exploded as I was stepping out of industry," he said. "This will have a huge impact on what we traditionally view as MIS-type professions. Much of the detailed coding and configuration we did in our early career as we progressed is now automated. That's a game changer."
"Automation is providing technology solutions and implementation strategies quickly with amazing completeness—but it's another thing to make these AI-delivered artifacts really work and make money. MIS grads need to become solution-implementation leaders."
Horvath said smart Huskies will distinguish themselves by having "strong technical chops, solving business problems by deploying technology."
"My advice to today's MIS grad is yes, you still need that technical foundation, but successfully solving business problems will become more about being excellent project managers, communicators, change leaders, and becoming expert in your business models, whatever those may be," he said.
While AI's rise happened faster than he expected, Horvath had long anticipated dramatic changes in business standards and operations—including the shift to one big global playing field. Horvath first highlighted the sea change in a 2012 Impact Magazine article. What he forecast has come to pass.
"I'm not at all surprised and I don't see the trend subsiding to any great degree. In fact, the current activity regarding trade relationships is making all of us realize just how interconnected we are and reliant on goods, services, and capabilities from across the globe," Horvath said. "I don't see this going away and it's my desire that the current tension these trade talks are generating does not diminish how connected we are as global citizens."
Connections are a through-line for the alumnus, whose Michigan Tech bonds also run in the family. His sister Melanie is also a College of Business alum. And he and Beth visited campus again this past July, while their grandson explored aerospace engineering as part of Michigan Tech's Summer Youth Programs.
"Michigan Tech always had a really good brand in my high school, and those in my family who attended had very good careers. Growing up we'd frequent the Keweenaw on family trips. I always enjoyed the history and rugged nature of the Copper Country. So the allure to live and study there was present from a young age," he said.
As the sailing adage goes, a ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for. When students choose Tech, they're not embarking on an ordinary route to professional and personal development, said Horvath. And along the way with their crewmates, they'll be forming a community that lasts a lifetime.
"To me, it's the common experience of studying at Tech, living in the Keweenaw, and the trials and rewards of that time in one's life. It takes a bit of grit to get through the academic challenges, the winters, and frankly, just getting there. It's a special place and everyone I talk to is quite fond of that experience," he said.
"When you sail successfully you have a team of people on your boat, each with a position. And when everyone works well, the boat performs and you win," he said. "Racing a boat is an exercise in optimizing numerous variables that are always changing as you seek to win: the weather and wind, competitors defending against moves you make and going on offense against the moves you're making. Boat speed is tweaked by numerous controls on the boat. You need to know the rules. You need a strategy to get around the course the fastest. Yes, indeed, there are many parallels."
Future-focused Accounting Alum Harnesses the Power of AI, Analytics, and Continuous Learning
Daron Hebeler, now an analyst at Deloitte Detroit, graduated from Michigan Tech in 2023 with two bachelor's degrees. But at one point, his bright future was far from a sure thing. At a pivotal moment, he found that many people—in the College of Business and beyond—were willing to bet on his success.
Hebeler completed bachelor's degrees in both management information systems and accounting with a specialization in data analytics at Michigan Tech.
"I wanted to ensure that I wasn't just gaining a traditional understanding of accounting but also equipping myself with the technological and software expertise necessary to stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape," he said. "With businesses implementing increasingly sophisticated accounting systems, I wanted to be someone who could not only understand the numbers but also navigate, develop, and optimize these advanced technologies."
See how Hebeler turned his time at Tech into a promising career.
En Pointe: MBA Degree Helps Performing Arts Pro Elevate Her Career
From her dance training to her tenure as director of Michigan Tech's Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, Mary Jennings has witnessed how wondrous moments shared with an audience can create, inspire, and strengthen communities. As her professional life evolved, Jennings leveraged the power of a Tech MBA to create a career where business is an art form and sustainable culture takes center stage.
Jennings is currently the executive director of Grand Rapids Ballet, the only classical ballet company in the State of Michigan. She accepted the position in 2024, after a decade with the Rozsa Center, where she had been director since 2021.
Jennings, who holds a BA in Dance from Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts, earned her Tech MBA in 2019.
"I had been thinking about pursuing an MBA for some time before enrolling in Tech's program," she said. "With a background in the performing arts, I knew that pairing my creative training with a strong foundation in business would open up new opportunities, not just for me personally, but for how I could contribute to the organizations and communities I care about."
Even before she joined the Grand Rapids Ballet, Jenning's leadership extended beyond the Rozsa. The Association for Performing Arts Professionals Leadership Fellow and former vice president for the Michigan Presenters Network is a founding member of the Upper Peninsula Arts and Culture Alliance. While her location has shifted, her commitment to operational excellence, sustainability, and equity continues.
In this Q&A, Jennings shares how her decision to go for an advanced business degree impacted her career, what she misses about the Keweenaw, and more about her new role.
Q: How did pursuing and earning a Tech MBA enhance your professional growth?
MJ: I knew Michigan Tech's MBA was the right choice because it offered a rigorous program that could fast-track my understanding of broader business concepts, and I would be learning with peers who were as focused and dedicated to their careers as I was. The program helped me understand how to connect my creative expertise to a larger ecosystem of partners, collaborators, and changemakers.
Q: How often do you find yourself applying what you learned in your daily work?
MJ: The things I learned in Tech's MBA program have become part of how I think and lead. The accounting and finance courses gave me a solid foundation that I've been able to build on through real-world experience.
Just as importantly, the coursework in change management and strategy continues to shape how I approach big-picture thinking. In the arts we're constantly navigating shifting landscapes and those tools have helped me think about how to build systems that are not only creative but also resilient and sustainable.
Q: The Grand Rapids Ballet performed at MTU in collaboration with Woodland Sky Native American Dance Company in 2024. Any chance you'll be able to bring Michigan's only professional ballet company back to the Keweenaw?
MJ: I would love to!
Q: What do you miss most about Tech and the Rozsa?
MJ: The community. There's something really special about being in the Keweenaw surrounded by people who are smart, driven, and always willing to help, whether that's collaborating on a project or literally pushing your car out of a snowbank. The Rozsa is a hub of creativity and connection, and the natural beauty of the area, combined with the openness of the people at Tech, make it an easy place to miss.
Q: What do you love most about your new job?
MJ: I get to stretch and grow professionally in a community highly invested in the arts. Every day feels meaningful because I'm building on a 50-year legacy of artistic excellence at GRB, honoring that history while evolving our operations to be more efficient, resilient, and engaging for today's audiences. It's both deeply personal and incredibly motivating work.
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
