“When people find out I’m getting my MBA, they ask how do you like it? I LOVE IT! It’s just awesome.”
It’s been 25 years since Judy Hambleton, Customer Service Manager at Just Born Quality Confections, set foot in a college classroom. That is, until she decided to go back to school this past fall to pursue her Master of Business Administration degree at Moravian Graduate.
And it’s a little different than last time around. “Going back as an adult who has a family and perspective—it’s totally different than my undergraduate experience,” Hambleton said.
A Program That’s Geared Toward My Life
In an area with an abundance of graduate schools from which to choose, how did Hambleton end up at Moravian? It’s simple—the program was geared toward Hambleton, her career, and her life. As an employee at Just Born, she was looking for a program that could enhance her career, while also providing the flexibility to work full time and raise her family.
“I work right in Bethlehem and I had a Wednesday night class during session one in the fall. I left right from work and it took me five minutes to get there!”
But it was more than the convenient location in downtown Bethlehem that sold Hambleton on Moravian. As an employee at Just Born—the candy company responsible for manufacturing Peeps® and so much more—Hambleton required the flexibility of a part-time schedule and the ability to take sessions off during the busy holiday seasons. And with Easter coming up, this is one of those times!
The Moravian Experience
Hambleton’s daughter is in her second year of Moravian College’s undergraduate nursing program. She’s a resident advisor and always gushes about how great her Moravian experience has been so far. But Hambleton had her doubts—how amazing could a college experience really be? But then she began the MBA program.
“When I started going there…I get it. I get how and why my daughter says that. I’m only two classes in and I get the Moravian “feel”—that it’s like a family.”
On the first day of her first class, Hambleton was nervous. Would she feel out of place? Would her fellow classmates all be younger? But, to her surprise, there were no hiccups at all as she was getting back into the classroom.
She felt genuinely accepted by everyone and didn’t even notice an age difference when she and her classmates were broken into teams. “We’re a team,” says Hambleton. “Age doesn’t matter. Everyone brings different skills and it’s just awesome.”
Carrying the Lessons with Me
As far as the academic experience goes, it’s been inspiring. Hambleton’s first class was “Leading People in Organizations” with Dr. Katie Desiderio, Executive Director of the Graduate Business Programs.
“It was awesome. I’m so glad I had that as my first class because it propelled me to just keep going. So many things I learned in there, I say now. It really made an impact,” said Hambleton.
And her second class, “Managing Performance” with Monica Law, continued to impress. The focus of the class was “empowerment” and how to empower others. Hambleton still takes these lessons with her to work each day—encouraging teammates and coworkers to make decisions and take on responsibilities.
Next up, a course dedicated to the study of women in leadership positions. “I think it will really be an opportunity for me to understand what women are up against in the workforce and how we can elevate ourselves to where we should be.”
If you’re looking to go back to school so you can enhance your career, you should start by requesting more information about our graduate program.