Student Profile: Rachel L.
Rachel is incredible. She’s a mother of two and a graduate of our Executive Business Administration program. She really proves that taking this program online with Willis College online makes it possible to be a successful student, mother, and employee all at the same time!
We wanted to showcase Rachel’s journey so that other parents and caregivers can see just how successful you can be in school while managing other responsibilities. If this rings a bell, or if you’re just interested in our Executive Business Administration or online programs, keep reading!
Willis College: Thank you Rachel, for taking the time to chat with us today! To start us off, what was it about the Executive Business Administration program that interested you in the program?
Rachel: Sure! I was really excited about the in-depth courses that I was going to take to build on some things that I already knew a bit about. I gained more business knowledge, more operations knowledge for companies, and really looked at things that I hadn’t considered before in term of marketing and social media.
Amazing. Now that you’ve graduated what are you most excited about leaving the program?
I think the thing I’m most excited about is just having so much more knowledge when I’m going to meet employers! I have confidence in my knowledge and I also know what they’re looking for from me.
Having confidence in the job market is so great and we know you’re going to do great things! Taking the program online is a bit of a unique experience. Going into an office environment you’re going to have to be collaborative with other people. Are those skills that you think you were still able to gain learning online, or did that suffer at all?
Oh no, that wasn’t a problem! I found that by attending daily, even though it was online and it was remote, I really got to know my professors and my classmates. Professors would afford opportunities for there to be breakout rooms. And in those breakout rooms, we’d be looking at course material, but we’d also be really getting to know each other and supporting each other.
I think that’s really helpful for students who are considering online learning so thank you for that! Are there any tips, tricks, or recommendations that you have for someone who’s interested in the program?
Well, I think a lot of my success in the program and how I felt in the program had to do with owning it. I really looked at it as an opportunity to challenge myself and to succeed in a fast-paced course environment. I think it’s really important to show up every day, to put yourself forward and participate as much as possible and really take advantage of that time that you’re in the class.
That’s a really spot-on way of looking at it too.
Yeah, especially because it’s online. I think the expectation really needs to be that you are in charge, you are responsible, and the most that you can do while you’re in the classroom environment is going to benefit you in the long run. You know?
Absolutely! And that sort of goes back to the online learning aspect of it all. How was that for you?
I loved it. I was so happy with the online platform. I think that one of the things that I liked about the program was that it was going to be this four hour period. That was conducive to me being available for my kids and available for part-time work if I wanted it.
At first was very trepidatious. I thought, “How is this going to work?” But the instructors were so kind and patient in making sure people were comfortable and figuring out how to log in and do things. And then of course, being online, I don’t know that I could have done it any other way. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt like it was such the perfect platform for me at the perfect time. It was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it.
What is a key thing that you were able to learn through this program that now you’re are taking into your career?
I really understand the full picture now. I think that we all understand a company is a company and it has different areas. But I think what really helped me was really understanding what each department was interested in. That was huge to me, really understanding marketing. We all know marketing gets your information out there, but why? What are they really interested in? That was huge to me. Really understanding HR. Again, HR brings people in and lets people go. But again, just how much they’re important for developing the company’s goal and for developing the resources within the company to help the company move forward as well as help individuals move forward. I found that it really wrapped the entire idea, the whole, it broke it down into components and then it put it all together and it really made me appreciate the nuance and the importance of each individual department.
That’s huge!
Ya, I think I was a bit naive. I knew ‘this company does this certain thing in order to make money’. But it was really going through this program where it broke down each individual department that I was like, “Oh wow.” That’s how everybody’s working together in order to optimize the productivity and the success of the
I didn’t have a business background. I had worked for hotels and I had worked in property management, but I came from veterinary technology. And so the focus in that is science. It’s not about how a corporation works or how the economy works. So I always felt like when I was doing my positions before that I was missing a piece of the puzzle because I didn’t have that background before. And so having it now, it just makes me feel a lot more confident when I’m out there.
Wow! We really appreciate everything you highlighted both from your experience in the program and where you were able to take those skills moving forward. Thank you again. This was great.
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