Daryl Wilkerson is a May 2006 graduate of the Illinois MBA program.  He came to the program with a BS in industrial technology and an MS in manufacturing technology.  Daryl also had 10 years of personnel and project management experience as a naval officer and manufacturing engineer in private industry.  He learned key leadership and management skills during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom while deployed abroad.  This prior experience created a great foundation for his future success.

During his two years in the IMBA, Daryl was a program assistant in MBA Career Services, where he assisted students with resume writing, mock interviews, and career research.  He also co-founded and served as president of the MBA Military Service Association (now the MBA Service Association).   

Daryl’s hard work and dedication to his career paid off when he was offered an internship at Ford Motor Co., where he worked in Global Healthcare Purchasing.  The insight and experience he gained in this position was invaluable to him as he began his full-time job search the following fall.  The internship gave him excellent content for interview questions and allowed him to demonstrate his ability to be successful in the corporate world. 

Daryl says it best: "I valued the Illinois MBA program’s diverse teamwork experiences and the continuous interaction with faculty and my classmates.  Studying with a class that was comprised of such a large percentage of international students brought new and complex insights.  Because of the diverse perspectives I encountered, I feel ready to embrace and compete within a global economy."

Daryl works for AT&T in San Antonio as a manager in the Leadership Development Program.  He will be placed in three diverse work assignments over the next two years to expose him to key areas within the company before working with his supervisors to choose a more permanent role within the organization.