From on campus to online: organizational leadership

For both Kevin and Kayla, discovering ASU Online became an opportunity for a second chance. 

“I had heard ads on the radio, and ASU’s staff was on top of it from the moment I said I was interested,” says Kevin. “There was always someone available to talk, and I never really had questions because they answered them before I even asked.”

At the time, Kevin was working for Disney in California as a resort lead for hotel recreation, managing day-to-day operations and lifeguard training, among other areas. He had taken junior college classes, and ASU admissions felt the online bachelor’s in organizational leadership would be a good route. He was quickly amazed by the flexibility of the program.

“I loved how well organized it was,” he explains. “I never thought of myself as a very disciplined person, but there was something about it that just kept me invested and wanting to see it through. It was never that hard, although it was time consuming. I made sure I used my free time wisely. Whenever I got home from working at Disney, I would do homework.”

Kevin was able to use his degree to land a job with Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s management training program, where he’ll learn about running a branch and take classes toward applying to be an assistant manager.

“The job required a bachelor’s degree, so I was excited to be able to use it pretty much within a month of graduating,” he says. “You hear about a lot of people having bachelor’s and even master’s who are doing the same thing I had been doing with no education. I told myself that wouldn’t be me.”

When Kayla decided she wanted to graduate a Sun Devil, she, at first wasn’t sure what path to take. She considered moving back to Arizona to finish her degree on campus, but her boyfriend was in the military and moving to California. She ultimately decided to apply online so that she could be with him — and was equally impressed by the program’s flexibility.

“It just makes everything in life so much easier when trying to juggle school, work and a social life,” she says. “I can fit it in whenever I want. It definitely takes a lot of motivation and time management, which is something I didn’t have before. Starting online kind of scared me, but I’ve really grown in those areas.”

So much so, in fact, that she has made the dean’s list every semester since returning to school. “It’s a big deal because when I was on campus before, I was failing a lot of courses,” she says. “I’m proving to myself that I’m better than that, and fixing what I messed up before.”

Kayla plans to graduate in December, with concentrations in business and organizational leadership. She is currently interested in pursuing jobs in the cosmetics or travel industry. "I like learning how to be a true leader, and hopefully one day I can utilize that,” she says.

Both Kayla and Kevin have the same advice for those on the fence about online school: do it. “I would have never finished if it weren’t for ASU,” Kevin says. “It just wouldn’t have happened, but now that it’s done, it’s so awesome.” Kayla adds, “It’s a great path if you feel like you don’t have time for school because you can always squeeze classes in. 

For students who are weary of going to school online, ASU offers a ton of resources. My Success Coach has helped me through any concerns I might have and points me where I need to go.” Learn more about ASU Online’s Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership program.