Maria S. Is Going Back to School as a Business Administration Student   

Maria S. describes herself as an “older millennial, born and raised in the southeast of the United States.” Growing up she dreamed of building a career where she could help others, but higher education was a distant dream. “If you had told me a few years ago that I would be working towards a bachelor’s degree now, I wouldn’t have believed you. I was always a smart kid in school and all subjects came easy to me but it was still a struggle. I had undiagnosed ADHD which made everything odd for me. I had migraines and felt sick all the time. I dropped out of high school over 15 years ago, and I didn’t think a college degree was something I would achieve,” she shares.  

Over the last couple of years, Maria completed a few certificate courses in an effort to move toward the career she wanted but quickly realized she wouldn’t be able to make it without a college degree in hand. She discovered that some of the courses she took were ACE (American Council of Education) credited and could potentially transfer towards earning a degree.  

“I began searching for affordable schools just to see if there were any options for me and I stumbled across UoPeople. It almost seemed too good to be true. How could a bachelor’s program be completely tuition-free and with so much flexibility? After reading some student testimonials online, I decided that I had nothing to lose and applied. The application process was smooth and fast. After being accepted, I was easily able to submit my transcript and transfer the outside credits that I earned right away. That is huge! I am in my mid-thirties so being able to finish faster means I can dedicate myself to a master’s degree and chase my career goals quicker. To anyone else who is considering trying to transfer outside credits, do it! You can potentially shorten the time and cost of your degree. As someone who works full-time, the study pattern at UoPeople gives me the ability to study when it fits into my schedule. In my experience, the classes can be challenging, but if you’re willing to put in the work, you can achieve anything. I look forward to working in creative marketing after I graduate” she says. 

Maria currently lives with her husband and adorable pets out in the country and works at a company that does training and data analysis for artificial intelligence. “My free time is spent gardening and creating art. I love to work with my hands and being creative. My art ranges from drawing and painting to metalworking and making jewelry,” she says with a laugh.  

What’s her long-term goal? She wants to pursue a master’s degree in business psychology to create better work environments for all professionals. “Now that I am an adult and have been diagnosed with ADHD, it’s clear to see where companies fall short concerning culture and accessibility when it comes to productivity. I believe it will be a rewarding experience to help create change that improves employment for many people,” she adds.   

We feel immensely proud of the progress Maria has been making and are very excited to see her getting closer to her big dreams.