Jarrod DeGeorgia
Associate of Arts in Business Administration
BBA with a concentration in Management

Jarrod DeGeorgia believes in demonstrating accountability and finishing what he starts. "I attended Wayne State College on a football scholarship but dropped out a year later in order to pursue a professional football career. I promised myself, my parents and my family that I would continue my education and earn a college degree when my football career was over. There are, however, so many people, especially professional athletes, that do not keep that promise that I think my family may have had doubts that I would finish what I started."

Jarrod played in the Arena Football League for ten years. In his first year with the Iowa Barnstormers, he was a backup quarterback for Kurt Warner, who went on to lead the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl victory. He also played for eight years with the Sioux City Bandits. Throughout his football career, Jarrod kept his promise in mind and online learning through AIU Online enabled him to act on it even before his career came to a close. "When I began my football career, I thought I would have to wait until I was through with football before I could begin school. The rigorous schedules that games, practices and off-season training required me to keep would not allow time for me to attend a traditional university. Online learning, however, made it possible for me to consider enrolling while still playing football. A few calls to AIU Online convinced me that it would work for me."

Jarrod immediately developed a rapport with his Admissions Advisor, who happened to be an avid football fan. "I chose AIU Online because everyone there that I spoke with answered all of my questions. If someone didn’t have an immediate answer they admitted that, then found one and followed through with a return call. I truly felt cared about as an individual. That, in my opinion, is not only superior customer service, but also shows something that I have always valued – accountability. I was impressed with the professionalism of the Admissions staff."

Jarrod enrolled in the Associate of Arts in Business Administration degree program and recently earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Management. AIU Online worked for Jarrod as well as he was told it would. "AIU Online was a great fit for my schedule. I liked the flexibility and freedom that online learning offers. The professionalism of the Admissions Department that initially attracted me to AIU was also exhibited by the Academic Department. The learning environment was very interactive, with good communication among staff and students. With a lot of working students logged on at all hours, someone always seemed to be available to answer my questions. The projects were very practical and put me in some of the same business scenarios that I would later experience in my work environment. Overall, AIU Online was a great experience!"

Jarrod entered the business world while still working on earning his degree. He is currently employed as a Floor Manager at a Chevrolet dealership, but feels his degree can help him achieve his goal of advancing further into sales. "I chose a degree in business because I feel it gives me more options than other degrees would have. When I spoke with people I know in business and told them that I was using Power Point and Excel, I was told that they are very useful tools that they use every day. Before AIU Online, I didn’t even know what Power Point and Excel are, let alone how to use them."

Although Jarrod has not yet made a career transition, earning a degree through AIU Online has changed his life in many ways. "When I left football and entered the work world I learned to value education more than ever. Education has helped me communicate more effectively and given me a better understanding of business operations. I feel personal satisfaction on many levels after earning my degree. My family was supportive throughout my time with AIU. I would like to thank my wife and Uncle John because they helped inspire me to achieve educational success. Now I inspire them with the prospect of financial stability through professional success after football. I have set my professional goals higher than ever. My ultimate goal, however, is to own a business.. Earning a degree through AIU Online has helped make all of this possible. But what gives me the most personal satisfaction is that I have shown my family I am accountable by keeping my promise and finishing what I started."

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