IWU's MBA Degree Success Stories

Rediscover Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

Staci Jefferies, Enrollment Counselor Indiana
	How will having a degree make a difference in your life? It has already made a huge difference in my job opportunity. As I graduated, I was offered a promotion with my current employer. IWU made it all possible and definitely worth the while. What would you say to someone (your best friend) thinking about going to school online? I would certainly encourage them to try online. You receive a quality education while allowing you to uphold a fulltime job. You need not be a computer guru to succeed. You simply need to be able to communicate through email and discussions. How would you describe the online learning experience? My online experience was rewarding. I came through with new friends and we continue to keep in touch. With IWU, you find that you depend on the support of those in your class, even though you don't see them face to face. How have you managed your personal, work and school life together? The IWU courses certainly made it possible and not too difficult for all parts of my life to work together...for the good. Not only have I set a learning example for my godchildren, their parents have seen a good change in me as well. When all else fails, do your homework with the kids. :) What made you choose IWU? I chose IWU because there was no daily login requirement, but yet there was all the support of classmates and facilitators. What one thing was most special or different about your IWU experience? I appreciated the fact that I could not depend on my other classmates to do my work. So many times with onsite classes, you can say, "Oh, I'll just wait until I get to class. Someone will have the answer." With IWU, I was challenged to do all the work myself. I found that I actually learned more. What impact has the program had on your life already? The program has given me the opportunity of a job promotion and also starting my own photography business.
Gary Easterling, Chief Operating Officer Wright Patterson Air Force Base Credit Union Dayton, Ohio
	How will having a degree make a difference in your life? In one word, it is confidence. Those around me have indicated I appear to be confident, but as an adult learner (I got my Bachelors at 40 and my Masters at 52) I always carried internal doubt, especially when working with others with the educational credentials. What would you say to someone (your best friend) thinking about going to school online? If you have a complex schedule, the online solution is perfect. It does require more self-discipline than the traditional classroom setting. It takes a little longer to create real relationships with your classmates, but it is perfect for the working professional or busy homemaker. How would you describe the online learning experience? Challenging and rewarding. It demands the ability to communicate with the written word. The most rewarding experience is the sense of camaraderie and teamwork that develops with your class. The IWU method of keeping a class together for the duration of the program allows the group to grow together. After the first couple of classes you develop into a real support system. How have you managed your personal, work and school life together? It cannot be done without sacrifice somewhere. In my case, the sacrifice was first personal time, second a very understanding family. The key is planning ahead, anticipating the bottlenecks where all three can collide. If you anticipate you are then able to work with class facilitators and your classmates to adjust expectations and find way to get through the tough times. What made you choose IWU? Some would say fate; others would say the divine intervention. The timing was right. I was ready and I found IWU in a general search for an online Master's program. I launched inquiries and started my research. The responsiveness and helpfulness of the IWU staff was the key. I was enrolled and already reading textbooks from IWU before the other institutions could get me information. In my research, I was really impressed with the Christian focus. I was never disappointed with the Christian content and really enjoyed how it was folded into every subject. What one thing was most special or different about your IWU experience? As stated in the previous question, the way Christian principles were made party to every class was outstanding. I have always been a fan of applied Christianity. I teach adult Bible classes and I try to teach the application of the Word. My MBA program at IWU provided a wealth of applied Christianity material. It has enhanced my life well beyond the MBA degree in the business world. What impact has the program had on your life already? My understanding of issues and my critical thinking at work and in life is improved. In previous education I attained surface knowledge, through the MBA program we achieved a deeper awareness of the subject matter, and the ability to apply it to life's issues was enhanced.
Robert DiGia, Executive Vice President Sanitors Services San Antonio, TX
	How will having a degree make a difference in your life? I was somewhat fortunate in that I already had secured a job that offered a secure career path. However, I was interested in posturing myself to be flexible for opportunities in the marketplace once I decided to leave this career. I think from a vocational aspect this was one of the most important differences that my graduate degree accomplished. From an emotional point of view, it was immensely satisfying to complete a graduate program. I was in some respects a late bloomer when it came to formal education. I went back to college in my mid-thirties to finish my undergraduate work. Once I finished that level of education, I knew that I wanted to go to the next level. There is a sense of humbling self-esteem when I realize that I completed a commitment to improve my formal education. What would you say to someone (your best friend) thinking about going to school online? Without hesitation I would encourage prospective students to investigate the many advantages of engaging in an online program. Although flexibility is the key advantage component of online education, I offer caution to anyone who believes that the academic requirements are easier to complete. In my experience, it takes more time and effort since the "learning page" is completed entirely by the student. There are no lectures to give a starting place to construct your understanding of the subject. The student must quickly learn to analyze the subject material on both a macro and micro level. In other words, you must understand the theme and the details that allow the theme to come together. How would you describe the online learning experience? The experience was in the simplest of terms, rewarding on an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual level. I learned from the material, fellow students, and the insight of the online facilitators. Some facilitators were better than others in that the level of feedback was offered in a more consistent and clear manner. I found great emotional satisfaction in completing the requirements of the program. It was also good to be part of a group that offered spiritual experience in the context of their vocational experience. Courses such as statistics and finance were more difficult to navigate without feedback. Particularly in statistics where calculations in the early part of a problem are so critical to building the right answer. Often I felt that I was working without a map in some of the chapters. On the positive side of the learning experience there were some excellent written "dialogues" that were both thought provoking and assisted in honing writing skills on subjects such as management, marketing, and international studies. How have you managed your personal, work, and school life together? I think the key is to create balance. Without it, anyone of the above mentioned items can become all-consuming--at least that was the case for me. My interests were such that I wanted to do well in school, but not at the cost of losing touch with everything else in life. It forced me to categorize the components of my life and prioritize them according to what I believed were the most essential items to complete well. The result was that many activities didn't make the cut. The online program was the equivalent of a part-time job, which forced some recreational items to be eliminated during the period I was enrolled in the program. What made you choose IWU? More than anything else I was introduced to the program through a local IWU representative that visited our local church. I had looked at other programs, but IWU blended the Christian perspective, the flexible approach to organizing my work, and a good academic reputation. What one thing was most special or different about your IWU experience? One of the most important things that sometimes people might feel is lacking in online education is the development of the personal relationships that seems to be inherent in traditional programs. I believe that with an online experience, you learn a great deal about your cohort group. At times, it is difficult to coordinate everyone's schedule for group papers, but all-in-all, friendships are developed that may or may not last beyond the term of the program. Nonetheless, the online program offers just as much personal interaction as any traditional program with which I have been involved, and probably more. What impact has the program had on your life already? It has broadened my understanding of how to be innovative along with embracing change more readily. It amazes me that we often shortchange our lives because we are unwilling to change the way we do things, whether it is because we fall into a comfort zone or we just don't think about it. Whichever the case, the program allowed me to look into my present and future with a greater willingness to create it, rather than to passively "allow things" to happen. The program acted as a springboard to challenge me to do more for myself and for those whose lives I touch.