Michael Schneider, M. Ed. in Higher Education Administration Student
Current occupation: Coordinator of Student Activities at Wake Technical Community College – Raleigh, NC
What made you decide to pursue your degree as an adult?
I knew I wanted to go to grad school for a very long time. I just didn’t think it was for me and that it would be too hard for me to go back and obtain my M.Ed. After working in the higher education system for a while, I knew that I had found a profession I loved. I wanted to be successful in my career as well as make an impact at the college I was working for. I knew the only way I could do that was to go back to school and earn my masters in education.
Why did you choose to study at Tiffin University?
I wanted to find a school that was reputable, had an online program, and offered the Masters program I was looking for. To be honest, I did a Google search for “The best colleges that offer a masters program in Higher Education Administration”. Tiffin showed up on many of the top 20 lists. I did some more research on Tiffin and realized that they had a great program. So I applied and the rest is history!
What has been your experience with the program so far?
My experience with Tiffin has been one of the best. From day one, everyone at Tiffin has been so supportive. From my advisor who personally reached out to me to help with every step of the application, admissions, and program process, to the financial aid department who happily answered many of my questions, you can tell that they cared and actually wanted to see me be successful. The same goes for my professors as well who allow me to call them if I have questions about the course or just to talk about the next steps in my career. Tiffin is a family, and everyone treats you as such.
What keeps you motivated to stay in the program?
I know that I am learning from some of the best professors in the industry and everything that I am learning is actually relevant to my industry.
What’s even better is that I am able to apply what I am learning to my current position right now and it has helped advance me in my career. The awesome thing is that I haven’t even finished the program yet and I am already building my career for the future!
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about going back to school?
If you are a little wary about going back to school and earning your degree online, I had the same fears as you might. Luckily, Tiffin is there every step of the way to make sure that you WILL be successful. The online aspect is actually easy as well! I thought it was going to be a challenge for me, but Tiffin is very intentional about the online learning platform they use. I actually prefer it now! As long as you’re willing to put in the hard work and keep your eye on the prize, you’ll do just fine.
TU’s motto is: Without risk there is no gain. Can you tell us about a time when you took a risk and what you gained from it?
Doing an entire career change at 30 years old. I used to work in the private sector and I hated it. After finally coming to terms with the fact that I was unhappy with my current situation, I decided that it was time for a change. I always knew I wanted to work in the education system so one day, I quit my job and applied at the college I work for now. It was definitely a gamble but it worked out in my favor as I have never been happier with my decision. That being said, if I hadn’t taken that risk, I wouldn’t be in Tiffin’s M.Ed program and building a career that I Iove!