MBA couple celebrate a degree and a daughter on graduation weekend

Matthew Brown (MBA ‘26) and his wife, Katie Mazzola (MBA ‘25), drove from Washington, D.C., to Gainesville for Brown’s graduation. Although Mazzola was still two weeks before her due date, the two thought to pack the hospital bag — just in case. 

However, plans to walk down the graduation stage quickly shifted as Mazzola headed to the delivery unit of UF Health Shands Hospital, unsure whether she was in labor. After the medical team ran a few tests, graduation preparations became standard medical procedures for welcoming a baby Gator. 

By the end of the weekend, their baby girl, Florence, was born. 

“[It was just an] incredible mind shift of focusing from school, to then focusing on Florence and Katie, and making sure everything’s fine and safe,” Brown said. “Very much a fair trade.”

Brown and Mazzola were both MBA students at the Warrington College of Business. Mazzola began the program right after their wedding, and Brown the semester afterwards. They chose UF’s online MBA program for the strong combination of flexibility, competitive cost and strong reputation. 

Brown shared that he benefited from the program’s holistic approach to business. Brown is currently a lobbyist for the American College of Surgeons. Even without a business background, he felt confident in the experience he gained in product development and design, accounting and international business through the program. 

Mazzola shared that throughout the online program, she felt very supported by her cohort and her professors. She said that throughout her full-time work schedule as a defense contractor and pregnancy, the professors were extremely accommodating, even willing to meet outside normal office hours for any questions she had.

The two shared that the Global Immersion Experience they attended in Tokyo, Japan, was one of the highlights of the program. Throughout the week, they interacted with local businesses and learned how organizations operate from an international business lens. 

With two degrees and a daughter coming out of the MBA program, Brown shared that the program taught him how to focus on what truly matters and to give himself grace along the way. 

Mazzola said that as she was balancing full-time work, the MBA program and her pregnancy, she learned how to manage her time and prioritize what matters most. 

“You make time for the things that are important to you,” Mazzola said. “Family is important. Education is important. Career growth is important. If those are things that are important to you, you will find a way to do it, and you will be successful.”