Business Alum Talks MBA and eSports

Elliot Kleckner ’18, M’19 first came to Lebanon Valley as an actuarial science major. After two years, he discovered the economics and business administration majors better suited his interests. Both programs provided valuable lessons he’s now using in his career as a data analyst with Astec Industries in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Kleckner’s responsibilities include performing daily updates of incoming data across 17 subsidiaries, managing company projects regarding bid packages, and leading the company’s small analytics team.

“I always enjoyed math in school, but I was also drawn to financial figures,” said Kleckner. “The business courses at LVC pushed my interests in analytics even further, which caused me to rethink my major. The courses taught me a lot about analyzing real companies and how they conduct daily business.” 

Though he changed majors, Kleckner credits the Actuarial Science Program for one of the biggest lessons he learned at LVC.

“It was the work ethic that the program instilled,” he said. “The process of teaching yourself the material, along with long homework problems and assignments, helped create an urgency to complete my work in a timely manner and helped prepare me for my career.”

Time management was important to Kleckner, who competed on the Flying Dutchmen men’s tennis team. In his final season, he served as captain and earned Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Honorable Mention honors.

Enjoying his athletics experience and his time with friends, Kleckner decided to pursue his MBA directly after graduation. This allowed him more time to find the right job while also expanding the potential positions to which he could apply. 

“I knew that an MBA would help separate me from other candidates when applying for a job, and it would aid in higher compensation as well,” said Kleckner. “Since the program brings in professionals from the workplace, professors can connect what we are learning to real-world experiences and situations.”

While pursuing his MBA, Kleckner competed in the inaugural season for LVC’s varsity eSports team, which has now grown to nine games and a roster of about 50 student-athletes. 

“The growth of eSports has simply been explosive,” said Kleckner, who now helps coach the eSports team. “Since the program started, the players’ skills have grown immensely.”

 

-- Parker Gallagher, Marketing & Communications Student Assistant