Academics, Study Tips
From undergraduate majors in accounting, economics, finance, international business, management and marketing, to graduate degrees like an MBA, master of accounting, and doctor of business administration, there are many paths to successful careers in business. USA’s Mitchell College of Business has graduated many alumni who have gone on to successful business careers. Here are a few examples:
Darcy Kaul
Master of Business Administration
Director of Guest Experience,
Darcy Kaul, a USA double-alum, earned both a B.A. and MBA from the University of South Alabama. For her MBA, she enrolled in the rigorous one-year program, a decision she states that she made in order to “further my career and increase my trajectory in growing rapidly throughout the company I was working for.” She speaks highly of the experience as a whole, and greatly enjoyed the support she received from the faculty and student cohort. She found the experience of real-world application (such as case studies of real companies) to be invaluable.
Jerry Lathan
B.S. in Marketing
Founder and CEO
The Lathan Company, Mobile, AL
Jerry Lathan’s business career morphed from managing a fellow USA fraternity brother’s band, to selling roofing materials, to starting his own business, which now has offices in multiple cities across the country. He also is the owner of a film studio in New Orleans. The Lathan Company specializes in historic preservation of landmark properties across the Southeast, and Jerry Lathan credits his education as one of the resources for his great success.
Christopher C. Melton
B.S. in Finance
Chairman and CEO
An alumnus of Harvard University, and Columbia University, to name a few, Christopher Melton has put his bachelor’s degree from USA to good use. He is the current CEO and Chairman of the White Oak Group in Atlanta, a private equity management company. Previously, Melton spent almost 20 years at IBM, including holding the title of President of IBM Asia Pacific Investment Corporation.
Lindsay Overton Rainey
B.S. in Marketing
Master of Business Administration
Founder
A double-alumna of USA, Rainey had no idea she would start her own business. An avid athlete in numerous sports, she knew she needed to shape a career in her passion: fitness. The owner and founder of CORE Studio in Daphne, across the bay from Mobile, Lindsay Rainey uses her USA education on a daily basis. CORE offers many fitness classes but emphasizes yoga, Rainey’s workout of choice.
Margie Tuckson
B.S. in Marketing
Chief Financial Officer
Tuckson Health Connections, Atlanta, GA
Margie Tuckson, one of the recent recipients of a USA Alumni Fellow Award, is a current member of the USA Board of Trustees. Tuckson worked for over 18 years at IBM in Mobile, and her illustrious career has taken her all over the country. She is devoted to serving her community through numerous organizations, and takes a special interest in establishing scholarships for students to pursue higher education.
