Adults return to college to earn an MBA for a variety of reasons. Some want to fulfill a lifelong goal and finish what they started, others want to show their children the importance of education, and more yet begin their degrees with a specific goal in mind. Some, like SNU student Dorsey Ramsey, may have a business idea they would like to bring to fruition but need the practical skillset to make it successful.
“What I would love to do is have a hospice or home health agency to serve my community,” Ramsey said, “because we don’t have those senior services within my community right now.”
However, like many students, Ramsey didn't begin his educational journey right after high school.
“I was a late bloomer as far as my college run,” Ramsey said. “I chose to work right out of high school, so I started college late.”
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He began with community college courses and said his professor spoke with him after class one day and encouraged him to enroll in the Family Studies and Gerontology program at SNU, where he would be able to work full-time while earning his bachelor's degree.
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“I thought, you know what, I can do this. So I dove right in,” Ramsey said.
He completed his degree in Family Studies and Gerontology at the Bethany campus while working full time, and then after moving to Tulsa, enrolled in SNU’s graduate Counseling Psychology program.
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His first two degrees earned at SNU did not go without a struggle. During this time, he lost a classmate, his grandmother, and eventually his father. Ramsey said he leaned heavily on the support systems embedded at SNU.
“That model of prayer and having devotionals and having teachers that are available, a chaplain that is available at your leisure and are there to help you with your own self-care as an adult, was huge,” Ramsey said.
The tragedy he experienced, especially with the loss of his father, helped him understand the vital role of aging and end-of-life care.
“I want to use some of my transferable skills. like problem-solving and communication. and empathy and apply those to a business model,” Ramsey said, which led him to an MBA program at SNU. “I never really looked at any other comparable school when I decided to go back because I feel that servant leadership and guidance from professors was always really nice to have.”
While he works toward building his business, Ramsey said he wants to make full use of his undergraduate and counseling degree, serving as a leader working with the geriatric population.
As he works toward completing his degree, SNU faculty and staff are eagerly anticipating all he can accomplish and the lives he will improve because of his heart for service!
