University of Arkansas
Tiana Steyer, second from left, displays a framed diploma presented to her by Kelly Melton (left) of the College of Engineering as her mother and father, Lynn Nyland and Carl Steyer, look on. There is.
Tiana Steyer has become good at finding alternative ways to succeed when traditional ways of doing things don’t work in her life.
She earned two college degrees at once and built a career with an international manufacturing company with facilities in Northeast Arkansas. Mr Steyer’s employer, Prysmian Group in Paragould, makes automotive battery cables. How can I earn two university degrees at the same time? For maximum convenience and flexibility, it’s best if one of them is delivered online.
During the first two semesters after enrolling in U of A’s online Master of Science in Operations Management, Steyer drove approximately 35 miles from Paragould to Jonesboro and attended Arkansas State University three times a week. I took classes at the campus. It was to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at ASU.
“It was very easy for me,” Steyer said. “I took virtual school for nine years for part of middle school and high school, so I was already used to setting aside time aside from other activities. It was very easy to do it myself at night and on weekends.”
Steyer said her boss at Prysmian encouraged her to get a degree in chemistry in order to take a chemist role at the company. He allowed her to work around the hours needed to travel and attend classes. She already earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from ASU in 2017, with a minor in Chemistry. The company promoted her from research and development engineer to chemist in July. However, her position also requires management knowledge.
“MSOM skills are embedded in every part,” Steyer says. “I was looking for a master’s degree that would take me from the field of chemistry to operations management. Some of the projects I was asked to do required me to understand exactly how everything worked together. This was a way for me to understand what I was being asked and how all these features work together. ”
Her favorite project during her master’s degree was in an advanced project management class where students worked with small businesses and helped them develop business plans. She also enjoyed the Leadership Principles and Practices course, which requires students to read several books that describe the styles of notable leaders throughout history.
Prysmian makes automotive cables, and one of its largest product lines is shielded battery cables for electric vehicles. Steyer combines his scientific background with knowledge of principles such as project management, cost analysis and supplier collaboration. Her job also includes online teamwork.
“I like being in the lab and solving problems,” Steyer said. “It’s never boring. Every day is a little different. I report to an R&D manager who works full-time in-person but also remotely. I’m at the facility every day, but the people I deal with Half of them are in facilities” in other states. ”
She received her master’s degree last May, and the Razorbug Diploma Tour visited Paragould in June to present her diploma. Steyer, a resident of the small nearby community of La Fe, chose the auto repair shop in Paragould run by his father, Carl Steyer, for his presentation. Associate Professor of Engineering Kelly Melton presented Mr. Steyer with a framed diploma on June 27. The tour celebrates the accomplishments of graduates who earned their degrees online without leaving their jobs, families, and communities.
But Steyer’s experience in finding the right route goes back to her childhood, when she attended public school in another state. She entered kindergarten knowing how to read, but regressed enough to be placed in a remedial class. Her mother, Lynn Kneeland, knew something was wrong and enrolled her daughter in online school instead. This virtual academy is still in its early stages, and mother and daughter have become active participants in both Steyr’s success and the success of the online school.
“By fifth grade, he was reading above his grade level,” she says. “There was a lot of work in between, but I really made the jump. I went from being behind in everything, to basically being in special education classes, to being in all advanced classes. It was the first class of virtual school, so my mom and I were advocates for the school.”
Steyer’s mother took a leadership role in the parent organization, and Steyer served as a kind of unofficial ambassador, helping other new students adjust and attending school-sponsored outings with them.
Steyer, 29, with two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree, said she could have finished her education here, but quickly had second thoughts.
“I know I get bored very easily,” she said. “We joke that maybe we could go further in our careers and get a teaching degree. If we were to go back to school, we’d probably get a teaching degree.”
2024 will be the third year of the Razorbug Diploma Tour. A modified 2005 Volkswagen Beetle with hooves, a razor-like spine, a curly tail and a nose was used in a ceremony repeated over the past three summers in small towns in western, southern and eastern Arkansas. This is the highlight.
The Razorbug was on loan from the admissions office. Global Campus staff drove the Bug more than 3,100 miles and awarded 16 diplomas in 15 counties. Only two of our graduates earned a bachelor’s degree. The rest were one master’s degree and one Ph.D. The U of A offers more than 90 degree and license programs offered partially or fully online. In the 2024 academic year, U of A awarded 1,013 online degrees and certificates.
