Maria-Teresa King was born in the Philippines and grew up in California, but fate Ӱר in the form of the U.S. military Ӱר brought her to Louisiana.
ӰרThank God,Ӱר she says.
In Louisiana, King met her husband and found a community at the Ӱר that was as close-knit as what she had come to know first in the Navy and then as an Air Force medic.
ӰרIn the military, you have this bond, but in the civilian world, itӰרs rare,Ӱר King says. ӰרBut you can have it here in Louisiana at UL Lafayette.Ӱר
Achieving Personally, Professionally
King moved to Washington, Louisiana, with her husband and started looking into local opportunities to complete her bachelorӰרs degree. King needed to consider her commute and her schedule as she worked as a funeral coordinator, organizing military honors. 
The bachelorӰרs in Health Services Administration fit the bill. The programӰרs online coursework allowed her to maintain her full-time job and, later, care for a newborn daughter, as well.
ӰרEverybody is so helpful,Ӱר King says. ӰרI mean, they genuinely wanted to help you Ӱר the faculty, staff, and especially the professors. When they said, ӰרI have an open-door policy,Ӱר they meant it. It's a great program, which helped me explore my options and then helped me achieve my goals.Ӱר
As she neared the end of the health services administration degree program in 2015, professors helped her connect with employers and prepare for an interview with an area billing company.
ӰרMy current employer tried to hire me before I even graduated,Ӱר she says. ӰרThey were specifically looking for a quality coordinator, and I thought, ӰרI canӰרt do that; IӰרm just starting.Ӱר But I went to my professor and he helped prepare me for that interview.Ӱר
King is now a policy and incentive coordinator, working with multiple medical practices in and around St. Landry Parish.
Growing as a RaginӰר Cajun
When King decided she wanted more professional growth, her experience with the online bachelorӰרs program brought her back to UL Lafayette. She enrolled in the MBA online program with a concentration in Health Care Administration in January 2020.
As an online graduate student, King balances her full-time job, coursework, and everything that comes with parenting 11- and 4-year-old daughters.
ӰרIt's great because I can set my schedule. Family comes first Ӱר I have to tutor my child, I have to work, I have to do those daily activities. But at nighttime when everybody sleeps, I can pop open my computer and read and do my courses,Ӱר King says. ӰרItӰרs very flexible.Ӱר
That flexibility requires students to be self-motivated to stay on task. King says having a military background has helped her stick to a consistent study schedule. Once itӰרs time for coursework, she says, she turns off her phone and puts everything else aside to focus.
ӰרYou have to motivate yourself, you have to pace yourself, and youӰרll do well,Ӱר King says.