From the bayous of Louisiana to the boardrooms of Black Hills Energy in Wyoming, Jonathan Boudreaux's journey speaks to the power of education.
After struggling in undergrad, he took a step away from college life. But real-world experience soon taught him the value of a degree, pushing him to return to school with renewed purpose.
杏吧专区淢y father always said many things can be taken away from you, but education is not one of them,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淣o one can ever take away what you杏吧专区檝e accomplished by earning a degree.杏吧专区
With those words driving him forward, Boudreaux earned his bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree from UL Lafayette in 2010. But his pursuit of knowledge was far from over.
Nearly a decade later, Boudreaux enrolled in UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 MBA program online to advance his career without hitting pause.
Charting New Waters
Boudreaux's journey at UL Lafayette as a young mechanical engineering student got off to a rocky start.
杏吧专区淚t just wasn't working for me. I ended up leaving just because I felt like maybe college wasn't the route for me,杏吧专区 he explains. 杏吧专区淭hen, I started working and realized how much I needed a degree to do what I wanted to do in life.杏吧专区
Boudreaux came to understand the importance of education in opening doors his career.
杏吧专区淚 went back to UL Lafayette and met with the dean of engineering, who told me about the . That fit me better than what I first wanted to do,杏吧专区 he says.
In 2010, Boudreaux secured his bachelor杏吧专区檚 in industrial technology and entered the workforce. But he found himself craving something more.
That's when Boudreaux made the decision to pursue his MBA online.
杏吧专区淚 researched and decided to go back to UL Lafayette because that杏吧专区檚 where I got my bachelor杏吧专区檚. It was a wonderful school,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淚t was a great size for me, and the Office of Career Services really helped me kickstart my career. The MBA program was all online, so the process was very simple.杏吧专区
But after deciding on the online program, Boudreaux faced a new set of challenges in the application process. Feeling uncertain about the next steps, he reached out for guidance.
杏吧专区淲hen I was applying to do this, I hadn杏吧专区檛 taken the GMAT. So, I reached out to the MBA Director, and he walked me through the process of how to do that. He was super helpful,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淚 wasn杏吧专区檛 expecting a one-on-one phone call with him but that杏吧专区檚 what he did, so I was grateful for that.杏吧专区
Striking a Balance
Boudreaux was president of his Rotary club, vice chair of his Habitat for Humanity chapter, a supervisor, and a father. Then he added one more role: online student.
With so many duties, his second stint at UL Lafayette required a fresh approach.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檇 get home from work and spend some time with the family and the kids. Once they杏吧专区檇 go to bed, that's when I杏吧专区檇 log on,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淚 had a lot of late nights and weekends where all I did was sit in the basement and knock out assignments.杏吧专区
He found a rhythm that allowed him to manage both his professional and personal commitments.
杏吧专区淚 took two classes a semester, and that was the perfect pace for me,杏吧专区 he recalls.
The online program allows students to take two 8-week courses per semester while focusing on one class at a time. Boudreaux found real-world relevance in the courses right away.
杏吧专区淚 was able to apply all of the financial accounting lessons we learned at work. How corporate finance is structured, how different businesses make money, how it impacts the shareholders,杏吧专区 he explains.
杏吧专区淭he courses really helped build a foundation. Just being able to apply what I learned has been super helpful.杏吧专区
Boudreaux found the program built a network that stretched across regions.
杏吧专区淚 really enjoyed working with my classmates on some of the projects we got to do,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淕roup assignments were really fun. There was one student from Florida and another from West Virginia. It was pretty neat to bring people together from all different places to work on things.杏吧专区
Beyond the MBA
With three new letters behind his name, Boudreaux is looking forward to the path ahead.
杏吧专区淚 want to progress in my career; I杏吧专区檓 currently a Regional Operations Manager for a gas company. I杏吧专区檇 like to move up to a state leadership role and progress from there,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淎s far as education goes, I don杏吧专区檛 feel like I杏吧专区檓 done. There's something else I want to get. I don杏吧专区檛 know what that is yet, but I really enjoyed being back in school.杏吧专区
With a seasoned perspective, Boudreaux extends a word of advice to those currently in the MBA program online.
杏吧专区淭he small wins are huge. There are not many things you get to do as big as this,杏吧专区 he says. "Enjoy the experience, take it slow, and ask questions when they come up. UL Lafayette has a huge support system; that杏吧专区檚 one of the reasons I decided to go back.杏吧专区
Ready to level up your business knowledge? Learn more about our MBA program online at UL Lafayette.