23
February
2015
|
09:44 AM
America/Chicago

Pursuing the Dream: Matthew Weiberg’s Journey to a College Degree

Pursuing the Dream:  Matthew Weiberg’s Journey to a College Degree

 By Bill Wax, Director of Communication

For Matthew Weiberg, his wife, Crystal, and their two small sons, the 600-mile road trip from their Indianapolis home was the final leg of the journey to his Bellevue University B.S. in Marketing degree.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERALike most of the University’s students, Weiberg wanted a degree for career advancement. Eight years ago, he joined Cintas Corporation, a S. & P. 500 company that provides specialized services to North American businesses. Although he liked the company and the career path he was on, he left Cintas for three years to work for the family’s commercial printing business at the request of his father, David Weiberg. “Dad came down with lung cancer, so I helped, primarily in the sales function, to grow the business through cultivating new business relationships and acquiring new customers. Eventually I was able to return to Cintas. Dad was probably one of the biggest reasons I decided to do that, and to finish college. He encouraged me to pursue my dream.”  David Weiberg died in 2011.

Now a market sales manager for Cintas in the Indianapolis area, Weiberg initially chose another college and took classes part-time before eventually enrolling at Bellevue University on the recommendation of a friend, Brad Duchac, who completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business degree from the University in 2012. “He graduated, and I didn’t,” Weiberg recalled. That experience prompted him to take stock and look at his options.

“At my previous college, I knew I would have to spend the next eight years attending part-time in order to finish my degree. I decided to try Bellevue University,” he said.  “I have spent the last two and a half years at the kitchen table, completing my online degree in Marketing. It was a fantastic experience!”

Weiberg’s only prior experience with distance education was limited to a few online tests and quizzes. “It was not as robust as Bellevue University,” he recalled. “I got to know a lot of my classmates. The cohort format enabled me to focus on one class for six weeks at a time. It was challenging and very informative. It helped stretch me to where I am today. The whole educational experience broadens your thought process, improves your critical thinking and how you look at things. This experience has better prepared me to use the tools available to me now at Cintas, including how to execute an email marketing campaign and to best utilize social media and video.

“I would recommend this program to any working professional who is thinking about going back to school,” Weiberg said. “The program is flexible, and I found the staff to be very accommodating. The only regret I have is that I didn’t start sooner at Bellevue University.”