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Archives for January 2024

Business Administration Student Discusses How Being Your Own Boss Can Help You Eventually Become One

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If anyone knows how important time management is while working full time and getting an education, it’s Shannon Fitzgerald. 

Fitzgerald is on the road 100 to 150 days per year for work, while raising two kids with his girlfriend. Both work full time. He’s also a student in the online UW-Parkside Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program offered through UW Flexible Option.

For Fitzgerald, flexibility is more than just a “nice to have”–it’s a “must-have.” 

“Our house is full of pets and kids, and with [traveling so much], I didn’t want to have to worry about having to take night classes,” he said. “I’ve literally done assignments in Pennsylvania and overseas. I had to speak at a conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, and I was doing coursework over there to finish up.”

He is a technical accounts manager for UniFirst, a uniform and facility service company that makes launderable protective clothing for nuclear power plant workers. He found his way to the company after studying at the UW–Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus. He transferred there after one semester at a local college to save money, but wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do. 

“So I joined the Marine Corps. And then before I could go to boot camp, I actually tore my ACL.”

He was disqualified from service. Then, while at a pub in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, where he currently lives, he met a man whose daughter was working at the local nuclear power plant. 

“He said, hey, my daughter’s working at Point Beach Nuclear Power plant. Do you want to work there? I know they’re looking for some more people. So I started working with the company I’m still with back in 2011, and found out rather quickly that there were some really, really positive ways in which I could move up the ranks, all of which required further education.”

Fitzgerald did a Google search, and found the online  University of Wisconsin Associate of Arts and Sciences degree offered through UW Flexible Option. He enrolled after speaking with an adviser, who was able to help him transfer some of his credits from Lakeland College and UW-Manitowoc, a two-year branch campus of UW-Green Bay. Once he completed the associate’s degree program, he continued with the online UW Flexible Option Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program with UW-Parkside. 

“I feel like the associate degree program set the table and the bachelor’s degree program fed me dinner. As far as course content that directly applied to my job with the associate degree, there was some, but when I got into the bachelor’s degree program, which is what I’m doing right now, that’s where I find nearly every course that I’m taking in some way applies to what I’m doing.”

As a technical accounts manager, Fitzgerald is involved in high-level decision making within the company. The sales courses in Fitzgerald’s program also directly apply to his job, so he’s been able to implement course content immediately. “Even my classes that I take on the stock market help me to understand why our directors make decisions a certain way and how it affects how our company looks in the public eye.” 

The competency-based model that UW Flexible Option programs are built on allows students to fit school into their lives–not the other way around. Students can control the pace of their courses and complete assignments when it works for them. There are no set schedules or login requirements.

In Fitzgerald’s case, he can work ahead in school before his busiest time of the year on the job. During the spring and fall, a lot of nuclear power plants shut down because it’s their off-peak season for selling electricity. However, spring and fall is when Fitzgerald is the busiest. 

“Being able to start a subscription period in January and front-load myself with coursework (knowing that in March I’m going to start getting busy) really allows me, as the program states, to be flexible with my education. And it’s really, really worked in my favor, and it’s worked extremely well for my lifestyle.

“If I know I’ve got a large project or there’s a number of contract revisions that are going to become due and I know I’m going to be working 60, 70 hours a week, as much as I would love for school to be my focus, putting food on the table at that point is my focus.”

A day in life includes work, school, and time for his family. He spends the majority of his time visiting customers, and when he’s not, he’s working remotely or in the regional office. Typically, he’s in front of the computer by 7 a.m., finishing around 4 p.m. when his girlfriend gets home from work and the kids return from school. They eat dinner together, and then he reads and works on assignments. “It depends on what other things I have going on at home, but usually I try to put two to three hours aside for schoolwork.”

Fitzgerald is working not only toward his bachelor’s degree, but he’s also working toward becoming the director of sales and marketing at UniFirst. He loves what he does at the company because he loves working with people. But more than that, he’s been able to use the skills he’s learned on the job numerous times.

“We just had a project where we were looking to acquire some property to expand a location that we have down in Tennessee. And I was able to help draft the business plan that was eventually proposed.”

Thanks to his business and accounting classes, he’s also been able to apply SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to his work, and has mastered Microsoft Access.

“We use Access to manage our databases at work,” he said. “Even though I’m skilled with Excel, Access has always been difficult for me. Now I can fly through [it] and literally do projects like updating sales cost info for customers. [One form] might have 400 to 500 items on it.”

He’s also used Access for inventory turnover, like creating an obsolete list of items that they can discount to customers. “And we move about 50 percent of the items off that list after we discount them within the first three months. So that’s helped us out tremendously.”

While balancing full-time work, family, and a bachelor’s degree program might seem daunting to some, Fitzgerald says it can be done with discipline. 

“The most challenging thing is that you are your own boss with this program. So you have to make sure that you are putting in the time within that subscription period to get something out of it for yourself.”

And while the coursework can be challenging, he advises students to use their resources. “Use your fellow students. Use your professors. Make sure that you have the learning resources and that you’re familiar with the learning resources that are spelled out in the syllabi.”

He also recommends engaging with people in the online Student Lounge. “It’s essentially a virtual message board. It’d be the same as if you were sitting in the cafeteria talking to some fellow students at the cafeteria. You can bounce ideas off each other.”

Anyone who is interested in this type of program should get in touch with UW Extended Campus, he says. “Ask as many questions as you can. I think that somebody who’s on the fence, once they try it, would really see the benefits of that program really fast.”

Is a business administration degree the right choice for you? Check out the AACSB accredited UW-Parkside Bachelor of Business Administration curriculum or contact a helpful enrollment adviser at 608-800-6762 or flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu.

 

How One Sonographer Plans to Transition Her Love of Scanning into Other Career Paths with a Diagnostic Imaging Degree

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Stacy Tauke, a student in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging program, is leveraging her expertise in the radiology field to get her four-year degree, and so far, she’s thriving.

“My plan, when I’m done, is to do something with the degree part time and scan part time. So that way, I keep my skills up with ultrasound. But I can start to develop other skills that would make me more marketable for a job outside of just doing ultrasound,” she says.

Stacy has been working as a sonographer for the past 14 years.

“I specifically do high risk obstetrics, so those with unexpected fetal diagnoses or patients with health conditions that complicate pregnancy,” she says. “It’s very rewarding.”

Her interest in radiology grew initially from her mom, who worked in x-ray. 

“When I observed ultrasound, I fell in love with it right away,” she says. “Instead of just taking a picture of something, I have to find the pathology and then tailor the exam to that. Unlike other modalities, I have to present my findings to the radiologist. They highly rely on sonographers to show them what’s going on. And I really, really like that.”

While Stacy loves scanning, she has experienced pain from an overuse injury in her arm. 

“A lot of people get hurt in our job,” she says. “Some of them are career-ending. You’re doing tiny, small movements constantly. It’s a lot of fine movements, and a lot of pushing. It’s all on your arm to your hand. The musculoskeletal injury risk is very, very high.”

Sonographers face an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders because of the physical demands of the profession, according to the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The journal notes a 2022 survey by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography in which more than half of sonographers (66 percent) reported scanning in pain. The publication also notes that a majority (57 percent) of sonographers may not report pain or injury to management.  

Given the potential for further injury, Stacy wanted to get her bachelor’s degree to open up more opportunities. She began searching for programs, applied to the UW Flexible Option Diagnostic Imaging program, and enrolled a month later. 

The UW Flexible Option program was attractive to Stacy because of the credits she was awarded for her experience. Stacy and other sonographers like her with an active registry from ARDMS (American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography) or other organizations are automatically awarded a minimum of 60 credits toward the bachelor’s degree. It was also more affordable than she thought. And she’s in good company—another colleague did the same.

“I found out my coworker applied at the same program and got in at the exact same time. And we did not tell each other that we were doing it. So I announced to everyone: ‘Hey, I’m going back to school.’ And she’s like, ‘So am I.’”

So far, Stacy has benefited from learning more about management, budgeting, and how to communicate through writing. While she’s always enjoyed writing, she hasn’t done it recently and would like to start again.

The biggest challenge Stacy faces in the program is teaching herself. “And that is still a hard part for me—guiding your own learning. But I’m doing very well. I’m also learning how to do healthcare-related research and write at an academic level.”

Stacy was also able to pause her studies to participate in events like the RAGBRAI, a bike trek across Iowa that requires significant training.

UW Flexible Option courses are offered in 12-week subscription periods. Students have the choice to pay a single course or All-you-can-learn tuition rate for each period. 

“I was done [with courses] in the beginning of May,” she said. “So then I just started biking. But even if people aren’t as crazy as me in trying to get through the 12 weeks, they could still do the subscription, and bike in the morning or train in the morning, and then do their schoolwork in the afternoon.

“I tend to hit it hard so I can get as many classes done as I can. I work and just blast through the courses. But people don’t have to. They could just do a couple. They could only do one. My goal is always to do at least three because if you pay for the two-plus subscription—I feel like I’m getting a free class. So my goal is always three. The most I’ve done is four in a subscription.”

Stacy’s employer offers tuition reimbursement, so she adjusts her course schedule based on how much money she receives. She feels very fortunate that her employer offers this benefit so she can continue her education. She recalls a conversation she had with her Success Coach, Jenna Swartz, about her schedule a while back.

“I messaged Jenna and said, ‘OK, well, my tuition reimbursement’s up. I’m taking a break until next year when my tuition reimbursement will kick back in again.’ So that’s something too, you can plan it around what your work will provide you for your resources.”

Stacy spends 24 hours a week studying, but “I hit it way harder than maybe some other people,” she says. She’s hoping to finish the program next year, with another planned pause in January so that she can take a trip to Mexico.

Stacy is not completely sure where her career will take her, though she will most definitely have many opportunities to choose from. She plans to send her resume out to a variety of places once she receives her degree. Many sonographers choose teaching or management, and Stacy may go that route, but plans to continue scanning if she can.

“It’s hard to ask a sonographer because we plan on scanning our whole career. And we all love scanning. And people are always like, so what are you going to do with your degree? I have no idea because an ultrasound program is so specific. When I graduated, I knew, I’m going to do ultrasounds. I do want to keep scanning part time, no matter what.” 

Are you a sonographer or x-ray technician looking to make a career change? Call an enrollment adviser at 608-800-6762 or email at flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu to get more information.

Diagnostic Imaging Grad Lands New Administrator Role – Before Finishing Her Degree

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Kara Winzenreid, a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging, truly embodies determination and doing what it takes to achieve a goal. And it’s paid off – she’s already leveraged her degree into a new role as a Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACs) administrator – a job she started even before finishing the program.

Kara WinzenreidKara, who worked in diagnostic imaging for 15 years (two years in x-ray, 13 in ultrasound), wanted a bachelor’s degree so she could transition into a PACs administrator role.

“At that time, not having a bachelor’s degree was perfectly acceptable,” Kara says. She notes in the past decade, she’s found that a bachelor’s degree is required to leave the direct patient care route. 

“I thought, OK, I need to reevaluate and figure out how I can get to that endgame so that I can advance a little bit further.”

In Kara’s words, a PACs administrator “is the marriage of being in x-ray technology and the IT aspect.” After working in direct patient care for years, she was in need of a change – and liked the idea of working on the backend of the x-ray process. 

“People who have a background in x-ray are usually the best candidates to maintain that system because of that radiology background,” she adds.

She found the UW Flexible Option UW-Milwaukee Diagnostic Imaging degree through a Facebook group, Sonographers Do It In the Dark, where people were discussing where to get their bachelor’s degrees. Kara has certifications from a hospital-based x-ray and ultrasound program and didn’t want to start from zero as if she’d never gone to college.

“Ultrasound school and x-ray school together were three and a half years of my life,” she says. “UW-Milwaukee was the only place I found that allowed me to basically transition all that prior education toward a bachelor’s degree so that I didn’t have to start over again.”

Kara’s flown through her courses because of her work ethic but notes the flexibility of her past job. “I worked at an outpatient center, so all my patients were scheduled. So if a patient came early–if I had 20 minutes to work on something–that’s basically what I did. The website for UW-Milwaukee was easily accessible. I could just work on a project when I wasn’t actively doing something for my job, but then also obviously I still did schoolwork on weeknights and on weekends. I pretty much just kept plugging at it whenever I had the opportunity.”

“I also had a boss who was supportive of working on your schoolwork in your downtime,” she adds. “But basically, time management is something I’ve always been pretty good at. I’m not one to dawdle or take an hour to do something; I can do it in 20 minutes.” However, Kara still had a game plan of when she could study to help achieve a work-life balance alongside school.

Kara’s current role as a PACs administrator overlapped with her final subscription period in the program, which proved challenging. Instead of completing projects during the workday, Kara could only do schoolwork at night and on weekends for the first three months of her new job.

“You’re constantly on the clock and there is basically no downtime. And that was tough because I had set it in my head that I wanted to be done by October.”

She told herself she was going to finish her degree and do the best she could, even though it was a struggle. She advises students in similar situations to go “at your own pace and realize: don’t burn yourself out. Just do it when you feel ready. Because when you do the subscription plan, the faster you do the degree, the less time it takes, the less cost it takes.”

“But I think you have to consider your mental health, too,” she says. If she had to work her current job while going to school, she may not have been able to finish without experiencing burnout.

Kara enjoyed the program because her instructors had realistic expectations. As an added bonus, they provided the course content without the need to buy an expensive book.

“For the most part, you really didn’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on books and extra materials to perform the assignments there. It was provided within the course itself, which was a huge help.”

Kara learned skills she’s been able to apply on the job, like technical writing. She also advises prospective students that some general education courses may still be required. For example, Kara completed a geology course. “You still have to pay your dues a little bit,” she says.

As someone who was deeply motivated to move into her new role, Kara sped through the program, taking around five classes per subscription period. “[The classes] that I was able to accelerate through more so than others were the ones that were related directly to imaging. I already did the schooling and I had 15 years of experience. It was much easier to absorb the material when I already had a background. Taking a biology class when you’ve been in the healthcare field for over 15 years [is] not that hard, really, because you pretty much know half of the material you’re being tested on.”

Kara also completed the Health Care Informatics Certificate with her degree.

“I knew I wanted to do some sort of healthcare informatics position. I wasn’t looking for a management position; I was looking for something in IT. So being able to hold up this certificate and be like, ‘Hey, not only do I have a bachelor’s degree and 15 years’ experience, I even have this certificate saying that I’ve completed training in this specific field.’ Add to the fact that it was only two additional classes for me to get that certificate, [and] it was a no brainer.”

Kara is happy with her new job as a PACs administrator, despite a long commute. She’s working in person now, but after the training period finishes, she can go remote.

“I would say I really like the job. It’s very demanding right now, and I think it’s a demanding job in general. It’ll be less demanding when I don’t have to drive for three to three and a half hours every single day, though.”

In five years, Kara sees herself in her current role, perhaps working her way into a leadership role.  

“It’s better hours and getting to work from home is a huge treat. I know that was a big thing during the pandemic, but a lot of companies that offered that during the pandemic aren’t really offering that anymore, and it is something that my company is still offering.”

 Are you a sonographer or x-ray technician looking to make a career change? Call an enrollment adviser at 608-800-6762 or email at flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu to get more information.