Amanda Boone can’t get enough learning. Wherever she is in life, she looks for opportunities to continue to learn and improve. In 2015, after applying for job after job, seeing that those jobs were going to candidates with more schooling under their belt, she made the decision to pursue her MBA with CSU.
“When I made the decision, CSU just felt right. It was my first choice because of the convenience, affordability and supportive environment. Immediately I felt like, this is my school; I’m going to go for it.”
In the MBA program, she found a passion for leadership and marketing and realized she spent hours on assignments and reading course materials, just because she was fascinated by the topics covered and she couldn’t get enough.
“When I was younger, I thought I would be a heart surgeon one day. That quickly disappeared when I discovered I loved business; it’s a good fit for me. I’m passionate about my assignments and I found it hard to stop working on my degree at the end of the day because I was always so fascinated by what I was reading.”
Pretty early on in her MBA program, she felt compelled to later pursue her doctorate, as well. She informed her academic advisor and in January 2017, found that she had been accepted into the DBA program at CSU.
“I had to pinch myself. It was a lifelong goal to do something bigger but I just wasn’t sure what until I saw the doctoral program and everything just clicked.”
As she currently works to complete her DBA, Boone’s future goals are to teach or even do some motivational speaking.
“I want to inspire others in some way,” she says.
After her MBA, Boone and her parents made the journey to Orange Beach for her Commencement ceremony. She said it was worth the trip to see the campus in person and share that experience with her parents.
“Commencement and Open House were so special. The fact that I had pulled off the degree, had a great advisor, was able to see the campus in person and have my parents there, it was all worth it.”
Her parents were so inspired, in fact, that they each decided to pursue their own degrees at CSU; in 2018, Boone’s dad received a master’s in public health and her mom received an MBA in health care management.
Boone says that during educational pursuits, it’s important to remember your “why.”
“It’s normal to have ups and downs but find that pillar of strength to keep going. Remembering the why, or the who or the what, behind deciding to earn your degree can be a huge source of inspiration during hard times.”
