For Antwaun Sanders, a recent MBA graduate from UW-Parkside and recipient of an Outstanding Graduate Award, finishing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from UW Flexible Option meant more than just getting a diploma. His bachelor’s degree was the culmination of a long journey that actually started in-person at UW-Parkside back in 2000, and eventually laid the groundwork for him to complete his master’s in business.
“I had several challenges in my undergraduate program the first time around,” Antwaun recalls. “My identity was stolen my very first semester of college. He got a hold of my Social Security number, and he opened up a whole bunch of accounts in my name. And I was getting calls from creditors.”
The following semester, a relative was arrested for criminal trespassing with a firearm, and used Antwaun’s name, birthdate, and address–which meant Antwaun had to go to the police department and get fingerprinted to prove he was innocent.
“It was a nightmare,” he says. “I did have the support of Parkside police and my residence life advisers, and there were professors in my corner, so that helped.”
During his second year at UW-Parkside, things got even worse. Right before the start of second semester, Antwaun was in a horrible car accident near campus.
“It was really bad,” he says. “They had to transport me to a hospital in Milwaukee because they found out that I was bleeding internally from my liver.”
Antwaun finished the semester and did well, but needed a break. “I didn’t intend on staying out of school as long as I did, but life got in the way. I was working. I moved to New York. I had rent, bills. That took precedence.”
Later, while he was planning to finish his degree at another school, he discovered UW Flexible Option. He applied and began working toward his bachelor’s.
For Antwaun, the competency-based program allowed him to study at his own pace.
“I think the biggest incentive for me was that I could take as many classes as I could handle without someone trying to cap how many I should take. It was up to me to decide what level, how many courses, how many hours per week to study. It gave me power over my education, and that felt good. I like being in control of my own life, and the Flex program gave me that,” he says.
As someone who also attended semester-based college in-person, Antwaun prefers competency-based education as a working adult. It allows him to plan out his study times the way one might plan meals.
“Once you decide to do something, it just becomes part of those things that you have to do. If you have to take your kids to school, that’s just part of what you have to do as an adult. So I completed my courses, the readings, the exams, the presentations–it’s just all part of the things that I had to do. I had to make time for it.”
One of the more attractive things about UW Flexible Option is the fact Antwaun always felt like someone was in his corner. “My Success Coach, Ariel, was my cheerleader. She cheered me on. She offered me very constructive feedback whenever I needed it. Any issue you may have, they’re there. I remember I spoke to [her] about financial aid issues. If it was a question she couldn’t answer, she referred me to someone who could. She was there throughout the entire process. She was just so awesome. Ariel was just the best.”
He also felt supported by faculty.
“The professors answering emails, making themselves available for virtual meetings and for feedback on concepts that you might be struggling with: I was like, ‘Wow, they actually care about you getting your degree.’ They’re not just trying to get you out of their class. They really care about you succeeding. I felt that throughout the entire program.”
Peter Knight, now a retired faculty member at UW-Parkside in the business administration program, also impacted Antwaun’s education.
“I had him for four or five courses in the Flex program and one in the MBA program. He answered emails usually within two days. He’s always really kind and cool. He’s one of my favorite professors. But it’s professors like him that made me feel like I mattered and that they really cared about my growth and my future. That’s what makes this program worthwhile. I was successful because I had Success Coaches and professors who really cared about my learning and about my development and about my future.”
“And when I got my degree, I felt like I really earned it. It wasn’t handed to me. I feel like I really put in real work to get that degree, and it just made me feel good about it.”
He went straight from his bachelor’s degree program into the online MBA program at UW-Parkside with no breaks.
“What I learned in the BSBA program set me up for the MBA program,” he adds. “I had no issues in a lot of courses because of what I learned in the BSBA program. Even if I had decided not to pursue my MBA, I could have gone out into the workforce and pursued other opportunities with the knowledge I gained in the Flex BSBA program.”
Beyond his MBA, Antwaun also received an Outstanding Graduate Award after being nominated by a professor.
“I had no idea,” he says. “I didn’t even know that it existed, so it wasn’t like I was working hard to get the award. I just wanted to do well in all my classes, so I was like, what the heck, are you serious? She told me that she was going to show me the letter before she presents it, and she did. I almost teared up. It was a really heartfelt letter. And then she included some captions from my classmates. I was like, ‘Wow, they really cared about what I was doing. They valued my feedback to them, my classmates.’ So it just made me feel good about what I was doing. It was like confirmation I was working my butt off. I’m proud of it.”
Antwaun traveled back to UW-Parkside for his MBA graduation ceremony, and spent some time walking around campus where he’d started his education many years ago.
“I deserve to be there. I deserve to have my medal put around my neck. I deserve to walk across the stage. I’m not going to deprive myself of that experience, that memory. I’m all about memories, positive memories because we all have so many bad ones that we put more focus on sometimes. It’s just a human trait that we tend to focus more on the negatives in life.”
His next step is completing a third degree, a master’s degree in accounting, and sitting for the CPA exam. Antwaun, who originally wanted to be a lawyer, became interested in accounting when he moved to New York. His first few jobs there were in payables and receivables, and then payroll.
“My dream job would be controller, at least for a while. Then maybe VP of Finance, but I covet the controller position wholeheartedly. They’re like the coolest people on the planet. They control the finances,” he says.
While Antwaun’s journey hasn’t been smooth, it’s also been worth it.
“I think that a lot of people like myself who leave school for personal reasons, maybe it’s financial, maybe it’s a personal life crisis like it was to me, you kind of feel discouraged to go back and finish what you started. And I think that you should believe that you can actually finish something that you started. For me, it weighed over my head for so many years. I felt like it was the elephant in the room that I tried to ignore for so many years. And going back and completing that BSBA, it just felt really good.”
“I think that more adult learners owe it to themselves to finish their degree if it’s something that they really feel passionate about, and that they shouldn’t let the amount of time they spent away from the classroom discourage them from going back and finishing.”
Did you take a break from pursuing your degree and are wondering if going back to school is the right choice? UW Flexible Option can offer you the chance to finish your degree completely online — and credits from previous coursework! 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.