Experience, MBA Blended to Move Hayduk’s Career Forward
Bellevue University alumna Christy Hayduk completed her bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations, but after graduation her career took a different turn. She found herself in human resources, and while working at First Data, decided to pursue her Master of Business Administration degree.
“I went back to get my MBA and take some additional courses that focused on human resources,” she said. She completed her MBA while working at Valmont Industries, a Fortune 1000 company and she and now serves as Valmont’s Vice President and HR Business Partner, Global Infrastructure.
Finding Balance While Building a Career
Hayduk earned her MBA through Valmont’s partnership with Bellevue University. She found the program’s flexibility was designed for a busy lifestyle like hers, and she chose to complete most of her program in the in-person class format.
“This particular program allowed me to work at my own pace, which was critical since I continued to work full time and take classes in the evening,” Hayduk said.
“I was able to apply real life experiences, and was able to share those in class and apply them to my homework and project work.”
The learning environment and program options Bellevue University provides makes it possible for non-traditional students to achieve their academic goals, she said. “I traveled a lot in my position as I went to school, and the flexibility to take online and in class courses was extremely helpful. In addition, the professors were very supportive when [scheduling] conflicts occurred.”
Hayduk said having a strong support system also helped with balancing her responsibilities, including her husband, parents, in-laws, and employers.
Applying Education to Business, and Vice Versa
As a non-traditional student, Hayduk said she internationally chose a program that would weave in with her current career and where she wanted it to go. “The program was very relevant to what I was working on daily, so I was able to apply my learnings as I went through the program,” she said.
Hayduk said her classes also reinforced what she was learning about the financial aspects of business through her career. “I was able to apply real life experiences, and was able to share those in class and apply them to my homework and project work.”
Today, Hayduk continues to apply learnings from her MBA to her career. “Having my degree has assisted me in furthering my career opportunities,” she said.