Ryan Strayer
AABA with a concentration in Business
BBA with a concentration in Management
MBA with a concentration in Operations Management

Meet Ryan Strayer: Understanding the value of a degree

Years of business experience have helped Ryan Strayer understand the value that earning a degree through AIU Online can have. "I consider myself a well-rounded business leader and entrepreneur, having owned several businesses. I have worn many different hats in my past – accounting, marketing, sales and human resources. I have quite a bit of experience in each of these areas and from my experience I know hiring decisions are often made based on an applicant's education. Businesses have a wealth of human capital to choose from and many times competing applicants have similar skill sets. The choice of a candidate can be made based on answers to questions as simple as: Who has the degree? Who has the more advanced degree? I have personally hired individuals based on this factor and I know I am not the only hiring manager who has done so."

When Ryan decided to continue his education, online learning was his only viable option due to being in a position at the time that required extensive traveling. With many online universities to choose from, he did extensive research before choosing AIU Online. "I wanted to earn my degree from an online institution with the same amount of credibility as any traditional university. I also wanted an online format that was easy for me to work with. AIU Online was a top contender in the online university arena and remains that way today. After looking into several universities, I believe AIU Online has a superior online environment and curriculum. Several other virtual campuses I looked into were unorganized and difficult to work in. Some online universities lacked the overall curriculum I was looking for, with much longer degree programs than AIU Online, some as long as traditional four-year brick and mortar universities. After a tour of the Virtual Campus, online presentations, tutorials and after considering accelerated program options, AIU Online was a simple choice for me."

Instead of earning one degree in four years, Ryan earned three degrees through AIU Online, including a Master of Business Administration degree. Ryan has some words of advice for anyone thinking about continuing their education. "Education is the most important thing in life. Education can change your life dramatically. I am now the Vice President of Operations and Professional Services for a national value-added reseller that focuses on providing managed IT services, sales and support to businesses. While I have had senior management qualifications for years, I was never able to secure a position in that capacity. After completing my MBA through AIU Online, I obtained an executive management position almost immediately. I would not be where I am today had I not chosen to continue my education."

Ryan believes that applying the skills and knowledge he acquired in his courses through AIU Online has also helped him advance in his career. "The projects that I have completed in my coursework have been so directly relevant to my career that I have been able to apply them to my work as I was completing them. For example, a new product that we developed needed a marketing strategy and plan for an upcoming launch. At the time I had an assignment to do just that in one of my courses. I don't feel it can get any more applicable than that! The skills and knowledge I have acquired from the MBA degree program at AIU Online have put me a step ahead of most of my peers with similar qualifications. I have shown my superiors that I have an advanced level of knowledge and more capabilities and that has helped me advance in my career."

In the four years Ryan spent earning his degrees through AIU Online, he may have acquired a taste for something that will lead to even more dramatic changes in his life and career - a taste for learning. "Earning my degrees opened my eyes in many ways. While associating with successful executives and other influential people after I earned my first two degrees, I began to notice Master's degrees and PhD's on their walls and homes and offices filled with books. I soon realized that successful people never stop learning! They are on a constant search for knowledge in order to improve themselves, their businesses and the people around them. I knew then that I had to have more knowledge! Knowledge can help me improve people's lives through effective and efficient leadership and that, ultimately, can make the world a better place. Thanks to AIU Online, my new inspiration is a never-ending quest for knowledge."

Back to Student/Alumni Profiles