Ted Broderick '12

Business Administration, Finance
Hometown:  Amherst, NH

Why did you choose The Whittemore School?

I am from Amherst, NH, a suburban town located in Hillsborough County about 10 miles west of downtown Nashua, NH. I grew up in an entrepreneurial town where many local residents run their own small businesses. As a small business owner myself, I wanted a demanding undergraduate program that incorporated real world experiences with classroom instruction. WSBE's curriculum integrates teacher partnership with area business leaders to incorporate practical learning activities in the classroom.

What does UNH offer you that other schools could not?

Friends said that the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, with its comprehensive business program, would be challenging. WSBE is a good fit for me in this respect. I also have the opportunity to blend academics with my athletic pursuits. UNH offers a collaborative partnership with Northeast Passage. This unique program offers an athletic development program for competitive students with disabilities. As a member of the UNH Men's Ski Team, I will be able to earn my business degree while continuing to ski nationally as part of an elite group of student-athletes in the sport of adaptive alpine skiing.

What influenced your decision to enroll in WSBE?

What impressed me about WSBE is that it feels as if the whole business community in the state of New Hampshire is behind the business schools' programs, and therefore behind the students in their academic efforts. There is so much energy flowing between the outside business community leaders and into the classrooms through our course work. A few years ago, I developed my own small business on Cape Cod called "Broderick Hull Maintenance". I am a certified scuba diver and spend my summers on the Cape maintaining sail boat hulls for clients. Through my classes at the Whittemore School, I will have direct contact with other business leaders. This transfer of knowledge will benefit me greatly in real world business applications for any future career.

Are there ways you see that a WSBE education is particularly important in the region you grew up?

Lots of business owners in my area talk about the economy and more recently, the stresses and strains that are being felt personally by many entrepreneurs. They look to the Whittemore School to see what information is coming out of the school about ways to deal with the economic crisis.

How are your college experiences meeting your expectations?

My expectations of the university experience are being met two-fold. I continually am amazed at the depth of information and knowledge base that is part of the curriculum. As I work through my undergraduate degree program, I plan to utilize class information to explore my options for future career choices. I also feel I have this amazing opportunity, through Northeast Passage, to train as a member of a UNH NCAA winter-sport team. The advanced training program I have been undergoing has increased my strength and agility. In March, I successfully competed in the 2009 U.S. Adaptive Alpine Nationals in Winter Park, Colorado.

What are your plans for the future?

Through my classes here at WSBE, I would like to do a case study using my own business as a model. I will be learning more about business concepts such as marketing, advertising and point pricing. I want to find out all I can about niche markets (like the Marine industry) and how that applies to my seasonal business. Only then can I find out if this type of a business can be successful for the long run. Applying concepts and theories learned in the classroom to real-world situations will enable me to develop the skills necessary to be competitive in the marketplace once I graduate. I am also one step closer to realizing another competitive goal - to compete for a spot on the 2010 Winter Paralympic Ski Team.

Finally, how do you see your time at UNH helping you in your career?

Learning to prioritize daily academic and athletic responsibilities better is teaching me critical time management skills. I am developing more flexibility in my ability to meet these every day demands. It has been a community effort to help balance the synergy that must be maintained to achieve success in both academics and athletics. I find support from so many people here at UNH that it has enabled me to grow and expand my potential in so many ways. 

WMUR.com