Tina Baird
AABA
BBA with a concentration Healthcare Management

Meet Tina Baird

With 12 years experience as a paramedic and firefighter, Tina Baird knows how to deal with adversity. Dealing with a sudden, unexpected disability with 4 sons and her husband deployed overseas, however, may be one of the greatest challenges Tina has ever faced. "I became disabled due to a brain tumor that caused seizures which prevented me from performing my duties as a paramedic. I needed to retrain myself in another career so I could re-enter the workforce, but since I was also unable to operate a motor vehicle due to my disability, attending college in a traditional setting was not an option for me."

The obvious solution for Tina was online learning. With many online colleges and universities to choose from, Tina wanted to make sure she made the right choice. "Since I already have experience in health care, I decided that pursuing a career in health care administration or business administration in a related field is my best option. I spent a lot of time researching online degree programs in business and health care management and the universities that offer them. Because of accreditation, the one that stood out for me was AIU Online. When I contacted AIU Online, I was extremely impressed with the professionalism and the tremendous help I received from the admissions staff, so I enrolled. I am very thankful that I did that."

The flexibility of online learning through AIU Online turned out to be a perfect fit for Tina's lifestyle, but Tina soon discovered that AIU Online has a lot more to offer. "I found every aspect of AIU Online to be outstanding. The Virtual Campus is amazing. It breaks down any barriers one may assume would be there from not physically attending classes. Everything that a brick and mortar campus offers is a few clicks away, while in the comfort of my home. The staff and instructors are very supportive and responsive to questions, even off hours. The live sessions are dynamic and interesting, with remarkable personal interaction among students and instructors. Overall, AIU Online was great experience and it far exceeded my expectations."

Tina exceeded her original educational goal as well; not only did she complete an Associate degree program through AIU Online, but she also went on to complete a Bachelor's degree program in Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management. "I originally enrolled to earn an Associate's degree. As I began to look into various positions with the help of Career Services, I realized that earning a Bachelor's degree would give me even more opportunities. Since I was having a great experience with the Virtual Campus and doing well in my courses, continuing on to earn a Bachelor's degree was an easy decision. And a decision that turned out to be well-worth it."

While enrolled with AIU, with her husband serving in Iraq, Tina began a "small project" to provide support and assistance to military families with loved ones deployed overseas. That small project is now a nationally recognized organization known as Military Family Support and Assistance (MFSA). "MFSA started out as a small project and it has grown tremendously in the 8 months since I founded it and have been operating it. MFSA is now getting national attention and will soon be serving all branches of the military. The knowledge and skills I acquired through the business administration courses, particularly courses in organizational behavior and statistics have had a profound impact on my success with this endeavor." According to MFSA's web site, "Tina was awarded the Miller Brewing Company's Unsung Hero Award in August of 2006 and was featured in an article in the Stars and Stripes Magazine."

Just as Tina continued to move forward with her education after earning her Associate's degree, she is continuing to forge ahead after founding MFSA. "Although MFSA has kept me busy since graduation, I am still pursuing the new career opportunities that earning my degrees through AIU Online have opened the doors to. I have been using AIU Online's learning labs to polish my computer skills. My ultimate educational goal is to earn a Master's degree in Business Administration through AIU Online. I am now pursuing project analyst and program management positions at a corporate level with several companies. Since earning my Bachelor's degree, I am more confident and more informed in interviews. I am also more positive about my future than I ever have been. My advice to anyone considering continuing their education through AIU Online is, go for it! It has definitely helped me."

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