When Jason Worley杏吧专区檚 daughter let him know that she wanted to pursue an MBA, he knew that it was time for him to do the same.
杏吧专区淥ne of my goals has always been to have a higher level of education than what my kids have. I want to set a good example for them and show them it杏吧专区檚 possible,杏吧专区 Worley says.
As a shift worker in a chemical plant outside of Baton Rouge, Worley wanted a program that was both flexible and local.
He looked at programs throughout the state, but UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 MBA program online stood out the most.
杏吧专区淪ome schools had tuition that would end up being $30,000 for the degree,杏吧专区 Worley says. 杏吧专区淏ut with UL Lafayette, I could get an MBA of the same quality for less than half the cost. And the campus is only about an hour drive away from where I live near Baton Rouge, so if I wanted to come to campus and get involved, I could.杏吧专区
With those factors considered, Worley杏吧专区檚 MBA experience at UL Lafayette began.
Worley杏吧专区檚 Journey
Worley杏吧专区檚 career started more than 20 years ago after he earned his bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree in business administration. Working in retail management for a brief period, he found that wages were higher in the plants nearby.
杏吧专区淭he advantage of working in a chemical plant, especially one as big as the one I杏吧专区檓 in, is that there杏吧专区檚 room for advancement,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檝e been with my company for 17 years now.杏吧专区
Through his plant杏吧专区檚 tuition reimbursement program, Worley could earn 100% reimbursement for his MBA tuition under one condition: he had to earn an A or B in each of his classes.
杏吧专区淔or me, that was a huge motivator,杏吧专区 Worley says. 杏吧专区淚 wanted to earn all of my money back.杏吧专区
Worley杏吧专区檚 work schedule was less than ideal, but the online program杏吧专区檚 flexibility helped him make it work. He often got his assignments done early in the morning when his family was sleeping or when he had a spare moment at work.
杏吧专区淚 would come home from work at the end of the day, take a nap, and wake up to do my work at around 3 or 4 a.m.,杏吧专区 he recalls. 杏吧专区淚 always brought my laptop to work with me, and if I had a moment during my shift, I杏吧专区檇 sit down and do my readings and assignments.杏吧专区
Getting Involved
In the MBA program, Worley found a supportive and vibrant community that made the challenging courses worth it.
He joined the , allowing him to connect with other students in the program and attend events both virtually and in person.
Through group projects in his classes, he also made many new friends.
杏吧专区淲e杏吧专区檇 always save each other杏吧专区檚 numbers from group projects and stay in touch,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淲e杏吧专区檇 all have those moments where we doubted ourselves and questioned why we were in the MBA program, but all it took was a few encouraging words from classmates and we杏吧专区檇 be ready to keep pushing.杏吧专区
Worley also found a mentor in Robert Viguerie, associate dean for graduate and executive programs for the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration.
杏吧专区淎ny time I was on campus, I stopped by Mr. Viguerie杏吧专区檚 office to chat. We had a great relationship,杏吧专区 Worley says. 杏吧专区淚t was nice, being able to participate in things and develop relationships that made my experience enjoyable.杏吧专区
Succeeding with Support
The encouragement and support Worley received from faculty and peers in the program played a key role in his success.
During his time in the program, Worley earned a Black Student Achievement Award from the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 Black Faculty & Staff Association and earned the grades he needed to receive 100% reimbursement for the program from his employer.
With an MBA now on his resume, Worley is ready to take the next step in his career.
杏吧专区淚 don杏吧专区檛 know what I want to do yet, but I definitely want to put my MBA to use,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淚 want to work for a growing company and be able to help that company grow even more.杏吧专区
His advice for students? Just go after it.
杏吧专区淚f earning your MBA is something you want to do, do it. Put your heart in it, and know that you can achieve it,杏吧专区 he says. 杏吧专区淯L Lafayette will always have a lasting impression on me because of the experience I had.杏吧专区
Prepare for the next step in your career with UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 MBA program online.