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Master's Student Success
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Negotiation and Influence Graduate Certificate Ambassadors
Online Master's Ambassadors offer valuable insights for navigating class, studying, and excelling in an online learning environment, while balancing professional and personal commitments.
Ready to chat?
Complete our Ambassador Connection Request Form. You will receive an email notification within 24-48 hours with an Ambassador match to begin your conversation. We try our best to connect your with the Ambassador of your choice.
Please note that our Ambassadors are enrolled in Smeal online specialty graduate degrees and certificates and not resident programs. Learn more about .
Learn more about Online Specialty Master’s and Certificate Programs
Alumni Ambassador: Sergio Medina
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Employment: Wells Fargo Bank, Due Diligence Consultant, AVP
Undergraduate degree: Political Science, Stanford University
Hobbies: Attending baseball and soccer games (LAFC original member), movies, live theater, traveling
Programs: Negotiation and Influence graduate certificate, Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Status in program: Graduated Spring 2025 (MBA); completed certificate December 2024
Favorite graduate course: MGMT 565: Power and Influence
Why I chose Penn State: Penn State is a highly ranked, prestigious, well-known university with the biggest alumni network and is very competitive when it comes to costs.
What makes this program valuable to you: The negotiation and influence concentration and graduate certificate is applicable to any industry. As such, this certificate, the MBA, my other degrees and graduate certificates combined with my work experience should position me well in today’s highly competitive job market.
What advice would you offer to new or prospective students? Don’t be afraid to embark on a new journey. The hardest step is the first one. If you can block off time each week to study and complete assignments, you will be successful.
Alumni Ambassador: Chanele Smith
Location: Charles Co, MD
Employment: Self-employed, Independent Consultant in Pharma and Biotech Industry
Undergraduate degree: Biology, Tennessee State University
Hobbies: Travel, interior design, and amusement parks with my family
Programs: Masters in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, graduate certificates in Negotiation and Influence and Management Consulting.
Status in program: Graduated Summer 2026
Favorite graduate course: It’s tough to pick one, I’ve learned so much in each course! I’ll say MGMT 565: Power and Influence because it was my first course and it gave me an excellent foundation for the program.
Why I chose Penn State: The CIENT program was the best program that fused business practices with innovation concepts. The flexibility of online courses with an optional global immersive experience, plus the Penn State reputation for academic rigor and active alumni helped me decide.
What makes this program valuable to you: I began the program in my 40s after working in corporate for almost 20 years. I was very nervous but quickly found my footing and gained so much confidence with each course. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
What advice would you offer to new or prospective students: Study the program(s) you’re considering, read the descriptions and think about how each course will help you accomplish your goals. Everyone is so friendly, don’t hesitate to reach out to ambassadors or advisors to get advice and connect with instructors on LinkedIn. Contribute meaningfully to each course and try to connect the lessons to your personal growth, not just professional. Graduate school is not easy, especially when you’re juggling other priorities, so share your experience with classmates to make deeper connections and grow your network. You got this!
