Online MBA Leads to Success
Getting his MBA online has enabled Dennis Williams to further his education and enhance his career.
By Linda L. Lewis
Many people reach an age where they think they know it all and stay in the same rut. But, at age 40, Dennis Williams still has dreams and goals to excel. The Native American was working as the Housing Authority of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation property manager in Checotah, Oklahoma. There he managed a 74-unit apartment complex. Up until then he had worked a series of odd jobs, but he wanted to go farther in his career. Williams decided that in order to climb the employment ladder, he was going to need to expand his education.
Williams graduated from Northeastern State University with his Bachelors in May 1997. The next step was to seek his Masters. He heard about the University Alliance and Regis University through the GMAT testing service. He started attending the Regis Online MBA program through a scholarship provided through the American Indian Graduate Center.
The switch from attending classes on campus to attending online was quite a challenge. He was not completely comfortable or literate with the computer going in, but he soon learned everything he needed to know. He also found it enlightening to communicate with the other students around the United States and the world via email and chat rooms
“I really feel like I got a more worldly view by earning my MBA online,” Williams said. “I worked with classmates in all different fields from all over the world. Iím not sure I would have gotten that from a land-based school.”
The flexibility of the online MBA program through University Alliance with asynchronous learning also allowed him to continue to excel at his full-time job, because he could study and learn at his convenience. “The main advantage to working online was the ability to find my own time to read, listen to the lectures (sometimes twice and rewind was nice), and study on my own schedule. The online coursework introduced me to the Internet and its’ endless possibilities.”
When asked about how he had set his schedule to succeed, Williams stated, “I tried to study a couple of hours each night. I would do research through the week and complete the assigned case study on the weekend.”
Williams was also impressed with the help provided by the University Alliance college support system. “The customer service was excellent.” He said, “Renee Rogers was the best. The technical support was outstanding. Whenever they were called upon, they were capable and friendly.”
Williams persevered with his studies and completed the 10-course program in just 18 months without taking a break. He graduated last December. The Housing Authority of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma promoted him after graduation to Resident Services Coordinator over 1800 housing (houses and apartment) units. In this position, Williams was able to obtain the Authority’s first grant of $350,000 through Housing and Urban Development.
Not letting the dry Oklahoma dust settle under him, he is currently applying for the Executive Director/Deputy Director position with the National Association of Indian Housing Council in Washington, D.C. Dennis Williams is another example of how ambition and online education can take you farther in life.