From the bayous of Mandeville, Louisiana, to the boardrooms of Black Hills Energy in Wyoming, Jonathan Boudreaux's journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of education.
After struggling in his undergraduate studies, he took a step away from university life. But real-world experience soon taught him the value of a degree, motivating him to return to academia with renewed purpose.
杏吧专区淪omething my father always instilled in me was that there杏吧专区檚 many things that 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, marking the beginning of a journey defined by resilience and dedication.
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 the 杏吧专区 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 I realized how much I really needed a degree to do what I wanted to do in life.杏吧专区
Through real-world experience, Boudreaux came to understand the significance of education in unlocking opportunities and advancing in his career.
杏吧专区淚 went back to UL Lafayette and met with the dean of engineering at the time, and he talked to me about the . And that kind of fit me a little bit better than what I originally wanted to do,杏吧专区 he says.
This realization fueled his decision to return to school.
In 2010, Boudreaux secured his bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree in industrial technology and spent a decade in the workforce.
But after a while, he found himself craving something more.
Motivated by his family杏吧专区檚 educational achievements and a desire for career advancement, Boudreaux made the decision to pursue his MBA online through UL Lafayette.
杏吧专区淚 was looking at different universities and I decided to go back to UL Lafayette because that杏吧专区檚 where I got my bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree, and 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 UL Lafayette's MBA program online, Boudreaux found himself facing 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 very appreciative of that.杏吧专区
Striking a Balance
Serving as president of his local Rotary club, vice chair of his local Habitat for Humanity chapter, and juggling the responsibilities of a supervisor and family man, Boudreaux added "MBA student" into his already impressive roster of commitments.
With this array of responsibilities, 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, and once they杏吧专区檇 go to bed, that was 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 there were several weekends where all I did was sit in the basement and knock out a whole bunch of assignments and schoolwork.杏吧专区
As Boudreaux navigated his busy schedule, 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.
With 8-week classes, the MBA program online allows students to take two courses per semester while only having to focus on one class at a time.
Boudreaux was able to take the knowledge from his accelerated MBA courses and immediately apply it to real-world challenges in his work.
杏吧专区淩ight away, I was able to apply all of the financial accounting lessons that we learned: how corporate finance is structured, how different corporations make money, and how it impacts the shareholders,杏吧专区 he explains. 杏吧专区淭he courses really helped build a foundational layer. Just being able to apply what I learned has been super helpful.杏吧专区
But Boudreaux found that this program offered more than just complementary curriculum 杏吧专区 it fostered a learning community that transcended geographical boundaries.
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, so 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 opportunities that await.
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 distribution 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 is something else I want to get, and 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 navigating the MBA program online.
杏吧专区淭he small accomplishments are huge. There are not many things you get to do as big as this,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淓njoy the experience, take it slow, and ask questions when they come up because 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 the 杏吧专区.