Brittany Quist is making the most of the opportunity to become the first person in her immediate family to earn a college degree while balancing the other important aspects of her life.
“I am a mother of four children and a wife,” she said. “I also work a full-time job. I needed to do something to better myself and help my family.”
That led Quist to enroll in the online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) program with dual areas of study in Finance and Marketing at Arkansas State University (A-State). She is on track to graduate in December 2022.
“The online program is pretty flexible,” she said. “You get to do your classes when you can make time for them.
“As a working parent, I had to have a degree program where I could do my homework at eight or nine o’clock at night versus having to be in a classroom at a certain time. This is working out perfectly.”
Quist has also had help from her husband, Jerome, and her mother-in-law, Rikki, with taking care of the children — Brentley (11), Jace (7), Dominic (3) and Sarah (7 months) — since she enrolled at A-State in the fall of 2021.
“They’re very excited and have been extremely supportive since I returned to school,” she said. “They have helped me with the kids whenever I needed time to focus on my schoolwork.”
In addition to devoting time to her family and homework, Quist is personnel director of human resources at South Fork River Therapy and Living, a retirement home in Salem, Arkansas.
“The online program makes earning a degree manageable,” she said. “The professors…help me out as much as possible, as well. They get back to me quickly when I have a question. It’s been great for me.”
Second Chance
Quist is originally from Rockford, Illinois, but she moved to Arkansas with her family when she was 12 years old. She enrolled in college after graduating from high school, but things didn’t work out for her in higher education the first time around.
“I enrolled in school when I was 18,” she said. “I did a couple of online courses back then, but it was too laid back. I wasn’t a responsible enough student at that time.”
Now, Quist is focused on school and improving her knowledge base and business acumen. She has been in her current role as a personnel director for two years after working as a certified nursing assistant at the same nursing home for two years.
Quist is reaping the benefits of what she has learned as a student in the online BSBA program and has applied most of that information to her career.
“I have gotten to where I especially like any of the business managerial courses as the program has progressed,” she said. “I have been able to take more of what I learned and put it into the marketing and staffing for our building at work.”
Quist believes that having a bachelor’s degree will give her an additional advantage in future endeavors as she continues to gain valuable real-world experience while wrapping up the final few months of the program.
“This degree will help open up some opportunities for my career,” she said. “It has already given me more of an insight into the business side of how a company runs.”
Ready to Roll
Quist plans to walk in the commencement ceremony in Jonesboro later this year to celebrate her accomplishment with her family. While she’s working hard in this program for her future, she is also doing it for her late grandmother, Jerrie Seehaver, who was an important supporter of Quist’s education before she passed. Quist promised her grandmother she’d finish the program, and now that she’s about to, she already has post-graduation plans once she crosses the stage.
“Being a certified nursing assistant, I loved the long-term care aspect, but I didn’t want to be a nurse,” she said. “Looking at different opportunities within that field made me think of it from more of the business aspect.
“After I graduate with my bachelor’s degree from A-State, I want to take the state long-term care administrator test and try to be an administrator for nursing homes. Having this degree will help me do that.”
Earning an online BSBA with a focus in marketing and finance has been a positive experience for Quist, who enjoys the outdoors and spending time on the family farm in her limited downtime.
Her hard work in the program is already paying dividends; she would recommend the program to anybody, regardless of which area of business they are targeting.
“It’s not the easiest degree, but it’s great if you want to do anything with any kind of company,” she said. “It’s beneficial information to have.
“So far, I have gotten good value out of the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program at A-State.”
Learn more about A-State’s online BSBA program.