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.
小蝌蚪APP淪omething my father always instilled in me was that there小蝌蚪APP檚 many things that can be taken away from you, but education is not one of them,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淣o one can ever take away what you小蝌蚪APP檝e accomplished by earning a degree.小蝌蚪APP
With those words driving him forward, Boudreaux earned his bachelor小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP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.
小蝌蚪APP淚t just wasn't working for me. I ended up leaving the 小蝌蚪APP just because I felt like maybe college wasn't the route for me,小蝌蚪APP he explains. 小蝌蚪APP淭hen, I started working, and I realized how much I really needed a degree to do what I wanted to do in life.小蝌蚪APP
Through real-world experience, Boudreaux came to understand the significance of education in unlocking opportunities and advancing in his career.
小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP he says.
This realization fueled his decision to return to school.
In 2010, Boudreaux secured his bachelor小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 educational achievements and a desire for career advancement, Boudreaux made the decision to pursue his MBA online through UL Lafayette.
小蝌蚪APP淚 was looking at different universities and I decided to go back to UL Lafayette because that小蝌蚪APP檚 where I got my bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree, and it was a wonderful school,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP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.小蝌蚪APP
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.
小蝌蚪APP淲hen I was applying to do this, I hadn小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 expecting a one-on-one phone call with him but that小蝌蚪APP檚 what he did, so I was very appreciative of that.小蝌蚪APP
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.
小蝌蚪APP淚小蝌蚪APP檇 get home from work and spend some time with the family and the kids, and once they小蝌蚪APP檇 go to bed, that was when I小蝌蚪APP檇 log on,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP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.小蝌蚪APP
As Boudreaux navigated his busy schedule, he found a rhythm that allowed him to manage both his professional and personal commitments.
小蝌蚪APP淚 took two classes a semester, and that was the perfect pace for me,小蝌蚪APP 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.
小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP he explains. 小蝌蚪APP淭he courses really helped build a foundational layer. Just being able to apply what I learned has been super helpful.小蝌蚪APP
But Boudreaux found that this program offered more than just complementary curriculum 小蝌蚪APP it fostered a learning community that transcended geographical boundaries.
小蝌蚪APP淚 really enjoyed working with my classmates on some of the projects we got to do,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP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.小蝌蚪APP
Beyond the MBA
With three new letters behind his name, Boudreaux is looking forward to the opportunities that await.
小蝌蚪APP淚 want to progress in my career, I小蝌蚪APP檓 currently a Regional Operations Manager for a gas distribution company. I小蝌蚪APP檇 like to move up to a state leadership role and progress from there,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淎s far as education goes, I don小蝌蚪APP檛 feel like I小蝌蚪APP檓 done. There is something else I want to get, and I don小蝌蚪APP檛 know what that is yet, but I really enjoyed being back in school.小蝌蚪APP
With a seasoned perspective, Boudreaux extends a word of advice to those currently navigating the MBA program online.
小蝌蚪APP淭he small accomplishments are huge. There are not many things you get to do as big as this,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淓njoy the experience, take it slow, and ask questions when they come up because UL Lafayette has a huge support system. That小蝌蚪APP檚 one of the reasons I decided to go back.小蝌蚪APP
Ready to level up your business knowledge? Learn more about our MBA program online at the 小蝌蚪APP.