When Alee Khambounleuang杏吧专区檚 boss suggested she consider graduate school, she was caught off guard.
As director of corporate development at LHC Group, she led multi-million dollar mergers and acquisitions while balancing life as a mother and community leader. Adding MBA coursework to her already full calendar felt like a stretch.
But the more she considered it, the more the idea took hold.
The 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 MBA with a concentration in Finance offered both the flexibility and affordability she needed.
As an LHC Group employee, she qualified for a tuition discount through the university杏吧专区檚 employer partnership.
Plus, her peers in , a program for developing community leaders, had plenty of great things to say about their own experiences with UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 online programs.
杏吧专区淚 was like, 杏吧专区極K, it杏吧专区檚 affordable, AACSB-accredited, has a great reputation 杏吧专区 let杏吧专区檚 do it.杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿
Learning to Lead in the Digital World
Returning to school after two decades meant adapting to new ways of learning. Tools like shared online files or Zoom were second nature to her classmates but new to her.
杏吧专区淲hen I was in undergrad, the internet was just getting stable,杏吧专区 she laughs.
杏吧专区淚t was an adjustment, but my classmates gave me pointers and showed me how to work with newer software. It really helped me develop skills needed in the workplace and to keep up with the new generation of professionals.杏吧专区
Fitting coursework into her already busy life required careful planning. Her Outlook calendar became her lifeline.
杏吧专区淎fter I do my assignments, I make sure all my deadlines are on there for the next week,杏吧专区 she says.
Skills That Stick
Some of Khambounleuang杏吧专区檚 most memorable experiences went beyond online assignments.
In her favorite course, IBUS 540: International Business, a 10-day study abroad in Costa Rica combined company visits with peer collaboration, offering an inside look at global practices.
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Another standout course was QMET 510: Data Analysis, where she learned to frame problems, mine data, and evaluate results with tools like Tableau. Those lessons continue to guide her leadership approach.
杏吧专区淚 use those skills every day, even if I'm not doing it myself,杏吧专区 Khambounleuang says. 杏吧专区淗aving that framework really helps me to move faster and better challenge my team. That's a key course; I'm glad it's a requirement in the curriculum.杏吧专区
Moving Forward in Finance
The MBA in Finance online prepared Khambounleuang to step into her current role as vice president of financial planning and analysis at VieMed.
She credits the program with giving her both the technical tools and professional network to succeed.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檓 using the tools; I still speak to my network of friends. I try to stay connected through the ,杏吧专区 she says.
She encourages those considering an MBA online to lean into collaboration.
杏吧专区淏e flexible and embrace the group work. I wasn杏吧专区檛 a big group project person, but I learned so much from my classmates杏吧专区 different life experiences. Those connections are invaluable.杏吧专区
Level up your career with UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 100% online MBA in Finance.