Victoria Alleman spends her days helping shape one of Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 most beloved community spaces: Moncus Park.
Before it became the hub it is today, the land was known as the 小蝌蚪APP.小蝌蚪APP It's a place with deep ties to the 小蝌蚪APP, where Alleman earned her marketing degree in 2014.
小蝌蚪APP淏ack in the day, when the 小蝌蚪APP was called USL, the milk for the cafeteria came from the cows right here on the Horse Farm,小蝌蚪APP Alleman says. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey were all kept on this property.小蝌蚪APP
The space has since been transformed into a 100-acre urban park that welcomes nearly half a million visitors each year. As part of the team behind its growth, Alleman helps bring in the funding and partnerships that keep the park thriving.
小蝌蚪APP淲e raised about $2.3 million last year from different leaders in the community,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淢any of them are repeat supporters who just want to make our city the very best it can be.小蝌蚪APP
But her work is about more than raising money; it小蝌蚪APP檚 about building something that lasts. As she navigates nonprofit development and planning, Alleman draws on what she learned in UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 online MBA program.
小蝌蚪APP淎 huge focus right now is making sure the park plays a role in advancing Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 quality of life. We want to help companies recruit and retain talent from UL Lafayette, SoLAcc, and our other higher education institutions," she says. "We see this mass exodus of young people after graduation 小蝌蚪APP and if the park can be part of what makes them stay, we want to do our part.小蝌蚪APP
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Before her role at Moncus Park, Alleman built her career across fast-paced industries. But it was her role as investor relations director at , an economic development organization for the nine-parish Acadiana region, that changed her perspective.
小蝌蚪APP淏eing surrounded by the leaders in our community shows you how much they value determination,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淵es, you learn different subjects and do your research in school, but at the end of the day, what school really teaches you is grit 小蝌蚪APP and I think that小蝌蚪APP檚 needed in the business world.小蝌蚪APP
It was these observations that pushed Alleman to consider graduate school. At the same time, she and her husband were growing their family, and she had recently stepped into her role as development director at Moncus Park.
Flexibility was non-negotiable.
小蝌蚪APP淚 needed something online,小蝌蚪APP says Alleman. 小蝌蚪APP淕oing every Tuesday and Thursday night just wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 realistic for me.小蝌蚪APP
So, she returned to where her academic journey began, enrolling in UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 MBA online program.
Putting MBA Knowledge to Work
Going back to school after nearly 10 years was an adjustment.
小蝌蚪APP淚 hadn't taken online courses before, so I had to ask my younger coworkers how to use Moodle,小蝌蚪APP Alleman laughs. 小蝌蚪APP淚t was a learning curve, but it was worth it.小蝌蚪APP
The transition didn小蝌蚪APP檛 take long. She soon found the MBA online program aligned perfectly with her work.
As Development Director for Moncus Park, Alleman touches every part of the organization from fundraising and strategic planning to community engagement.
And courses like MGMT525: Organizational Behavior and Leadership revealed the real-world benefits right away.
小蝌蚪APP淲e had just gone through a big leadership change at Moncus Park when I took that class,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚t was interesting to relate real-life examples to what we were learning in class.小蝌蚪APP
Each assignment gave her a chance to reflect on the work she was already doing.
小蝌蚪APP淚t felt like my research had some meat and potatoes to it,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淲ith my professional experience, I could apply exactly how it happened in the real world.小蝌蚪APP
Her advice for others considering graduate school? Let your experience guide you.
小蝌蚪APP淚f you have real life scenarios to apply to the business schoolwork, you get so much out of it,小蝌蚪APP she says. "I was working full time, having a baby, and taking a final two days out of the hospital. It小蝌蚪APP檚 not easy, but it's totally doable.小蝌蚪APP
Ready to level up your business knowledge? Learn more about the MBA online program.
