Chelsea Perry ’21, ’22 MBA Combines Passions for Business and Healthcare at BrettonTrova

When Chelsea Perry ’21, ’22 MBA graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business, the college’s 4+1 Master of Business Administration program seemed a logical next step. The program, which is available to those who have completed a bachelor’s degree at Colby-Sawyer and have taken several prerequisite business classes, allows students to earn an MBA in just one additional year.

“I had great experiences during my undergraduate program with my business professors and I wanted to continue my education with them,” said Chelsea, an Oakland, Maine, native who now lives in Nashua, New Hampshire, with her fiancé Garrett Scahill ’21 and their two cats, Clancy and Wallace. “The timing of the 4+1 MBA program was also very attractive. It would have been harder to go back to school later in life versus simply continuing when I was already in the school mode.”

Chelsea is currently working as an operations manager at healthcare nurse recruitment firm BrettonTrova. It’s an organization that provides critical services in the current environment, in which staffing shortages in healthcare are widespread.

“We help nurses find permanent positions and guide them through the application, interview and negotiation process with organizations,” Chelsea said. “We’re able to help organizations with their nursing shortage through finding them permanent staff rather than contract staff.”

The organization was a natural fit for Chelsea, who said she has always had a passion for healthcare. She completed her Colby-Sawyer internship in the human resources department of MaineGeneral Health, which prepared her well for her work at BrettonTrova.

“This company was the best combination of both [business and healthcare] worlds,” Chelsea said. “I am able to help with operational efficiency within our own organization, and the company improves organizational efficiency for other healthcare organizations, specifically in staffing.”

As operations manager, Chelsea oversees all of data and analytics, technology and candidate marketing in the organization, and she will be leading the creation and rollout of their marketing program. She is also excited to see the company providing internship experiences for current Colby-Sawyer students. Of the six interns the company has sponsored this year, two have been from Colby-Sawyer.

“I use my Colby-Sawyer experience almost every day,” Chelsea said. “CSC focused on teaching relevant skills students will use in the workplace.” And, she said, the 4+1 MBA program took that experience to another level.

“I would absolutely recommend any student join the 4+1 MBA program,” she said. “The education you receive is phenomenal, and Colby-Sawyer does a great job at teaching students how to critically think and problem solve beyond the typical solutions. You will know more than the typical freshly graduated student from other universities.”

The outcomes reports from the Harrington Center for Experiential Learning indicate that, like Chelsea, 99% of the Class of 2021 and 100% of the Class of 2022 were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Read more about Colby-Sawyer graduate outcomes.