When Jason Worley小蝌蚪APP檚 daughter let him know that she wanted to pursue an MBA, he knew that it was time for him to do the same.
小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 possible,小蝌蚪APP 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小蝌蚪APP檚 MBA program online stood out the most.
小蝌蚪APP淪ome schools had tuition that would end up being $30,000 for the degree,小蝌蚪APP Worley says. 小蝌蚪APP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.小蝌蚪APP
With those factors considered, Worley小蝌蚪APP檚 MBA experience at UL Lafayette began.
Worley小蝌蚪APP檚 Journey
Worley小蝌蚪APP檚 career started more than 20 years ago after he earned his bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in business administration. Working in retail management for a brief period, he found that wages were higher in the plants nearby.
小蝌蚪APP淭he advantage of working in a chemical plant, especially one as big as the one I小蝌蚪APP檓 in, is that there小蝌蚪APP檚 room for advancement,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淚小蝌蚪APP檝e been with my company for 17 years now.小蝌蚪APP
Through his plant小蝌蚪APP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.
小蝌蚪APP淔or me, that was a huge motivator,小蝌蚪APP Worley says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 wanted to earn all of my money back.小蝌蚪APP
Worley小蝌蚪APP檚 work schedule was less than ideal, but the online program小蝌蚪APP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.
小蝌蚪APP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.,小蝌蚪APP he recalls. 小蝌蚪APP淚 always brought my laptop to work with me, and if I had a moment during my shift, I小蝌蚪APP檇 sit down and do my readings and assignments.小蝌蚪APP
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.
小蝌蚪APP淲e小蝌蚪APP檇 always save each other小蝌蚪APP檚 numbers from group projects and stay in touch,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淲e小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檇 be ready to keep pushing.小蝌蚪APP
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.
小蝌蚪APP淎ny time I was on campus, I stopped by Mr. Viguerie小蝌蚪APP檚 office to chat. We had a great relationship,小蝌蚪APP Worley says. 小蝌蚪APP淚t was nice, being able to participate in things and develop relationships that made my experience enjoyable.小蝌蚪APP
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 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP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.
小蝌蚪APP淚 don小蝌蚪APP檛 know what I want to do yet, but I definitely want to put my MBA to use,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 want to work for a growing company and be able to help that company grow even more.小蝌蚪APP
His advice for students? Just go after it.
小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP he says. 小蝌蚪APP淯L Lafayette will always have a lasting impression on me because of the experience I had.小蝌蚪APP
Prepare for the next step in your career with UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 MBA program online.