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 Anne Ziebell's boss at Xcel Energy loved her, and Anne loved working with her boss and for the company as a legal secretary. Short of becoming a lawyer, however, Anne had reached the top of her career ladder at the company. She didn't want to go to law school but decided a college degree-or two-might help jumpstart her career, especially when Xcel offered tuition reimbursement. She enrolled at AIU Online for an Associate's degree then continued on with her Bachelor's.
Anne was right about the degrees being good for her. Before she had graduated with her Bachelor's, Medtronic, a global pharmaceuticals company, came looking for her. "They had heard about me through word of mouth. Within the field of legal secretaries and paralegals, I have a very specific niche (working with boards of directors and corporate subsidiaries). They pursued me, and when I told them I was getting my degree, they loved it. I don't think I would have been able to get into the company if I wasn't already working towards the degree." Anne has been a senior corporate paralegal at Medtronic since March 2004. She graduated from AIU Online with her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Management in December 2004.
"I was earning as much as I would ever be able to at Xcel Energy. With the degree and my new job, the earning potential is significantly higher; and I'm in an awesome industry where, indirectly, I get to help save people's lives."
It wasn't all smooth sailing for Anne, though. Before enrolling in AIU Online, she tried another online university but soon dropped out because of concerns regarding costs and the transfer of credits she had earned at a business college. "I had initially picked that school because it was the most visible, and I knew I didn't want to get a degree from a place that wasn't accredited."
With a husband and two sons, now 12 and 13, Anne knew online was the only way for her to go. "There was no way I had the time or patience to sit in a classroom. Where was I supposed to find time to go to a class somewhere in between all the football, basketball and baseball games and a full-time job?"
Anne began looking at other options. Another major online university is headquartered in her state, but it didn't offer any accelerated options. "I didn't want this to take forever."
Soon after sending an email query to AIU Online, she received a call from one of the school's Admission Advisors. Anne was asked to send in copies of her transcripts so AIU Online could evaluate what sorts of credits she had already taken that might be eligible for transfer. "AIU Online took nearly everything from the business college as well as from my six months at the other online university... AIU Online's program was even accelerated."
"At the first school, I had been so crabby because they didn't transfer any of my credits and it was going to take forever to get my degrees, but there are just so many things I like about AIU Online. And then, I got this great new job before I was even finished with my Bachelor's degree. It all worked out great."
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...There are just so many things I like about AIU Online. And then, I got this great new job before I was even finished with my Bachelor's degree. It all worked out great.
—Anne Ziebell |
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