From the Big House to Michigan Ross: New U-M Football QB and MSCM Student Plans to Make an Impact on the Field and in the Business World
Alan Bowman, MSCM ’22, has big plans for the year ahead as he begins his University of Michigan journey as a quarterback on the football team and as a Master of Supply Chain Management student at the Ross School of Business.
This fall, Bowman is looking forward to building relationships with his classmates and professors at Michigan Ross and his football teammates. While Michigan Ross is home to many elite U-M athletes, Bowman — who transferred from Texas Tech — represents one of the few athletes to join the MSCM Program after transferring from Texas Tech.
While playing for the Wolverines, Bowman is excited to take advantage of all the Michigan Ross MSCM Program — ranked the No. 2 MSCM program in the world by QS — has to offer. That includes participating in many of the program’s action-based learning opportunities, which allows students to work on real projects for corporations.
Bowman is confident he has the experience, confidence, and mentality to succeed on the field, in the classroom, and in the business world this year. Below, hear from the new Michigan QB and MSCM student on why he is pursuing his graduate degree at Michigan Ross, what he hopes to accomplish, and more.
Preparing for a career after football
Despite his impressive talent on the field, Bowman — who is expected to start the football season behind returning QB Cade McNamara — recognizes that one day his football career will come to an end. In fact, Bowman said he chose the Michigan Ross MSCM program to ensure his success in business regardless of where athletics take him.
“I want to be in the best situation possible when my football career is over, and here at Michigan Ross, I firmly believe that I will be able to graduate in that position,” he explained. “The MSCM program gives me the best opportunity to gain real-world experience through many of the action-based learning opportunities that the program offers. For example, the Supply Chain Consulting Studio is a huge advantage because you’re able to work on a challenging project facing a global company.”
In addition, Bowman highlighted the strength of Michigan Ross for helping him obtain a job at a top company after graduation.
“I want to learn from the best and work for the best, and that is why I came to Michigan,” he shared. “I hope to work for a well-known company like Walmart or Uber to gain experience, and then one day become head of operations or start my own consulting business.”
Business school experience applied to football
Throughout the Michigan Ross MSCM program, Bowman hopes to enhance his negotiation skills to elevate his game.
“I pride myself on being a smart QB. I see how defenses develop and where to attack space on the field,” he said. “I could use negotiation skills to go to our offensive coordinator and propose a tweak or a new play for the offense that will make us better as a team.”
After being a leader on the football field most of his life, Bowman is looking to gain the skills to lead in business.
“I like seeing how people work, how they handle situations differently, and I’m excited to learn from and leverage my classmates’ knowledge to grow my leadership skills,” he explained. “At Ross, I am excited to learn leadership skills on a business level. Using my football leadership knowledge and my business leadership knowledge will help me immensely.”
Michigan Ross and U-M community support
While Bowman said that being a student-athlete is no easy feat, he shared that the Michigan Ross community has been incredibly supportive of his academic and football endeavors.
“The community has welcomed me with open arms. I could not have asked for anything more,” he said. “As a student-athlete, a lot of my time is consumed by football. The Ross community and staff have done an amazing job working with my schedule and creating a schedule and environment where I can succeed both in the classroom and on the field.”
The Michigan football team and the Michigan Ross MSCM program are united by their community-driven atmosphere. Bowman is most excited to build connections with his peers and teammates and looks forward to the infectious positive energy that runs through campus.
I am extremely honored to be a part of this great institution and a part of the Michigan family. I want to thank everyone who has helped get me where I am today and that I hope to see everyone reading this at a game in the Big House screaming and cheering on our team.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROSS MASTER OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
