Alumni Spotlight: Shelly Sequin – Full-Time Employee & Mom Earns Three Business Degrees

Achieving the trifecta, Shelly earns an Associates and Bachelor’s in Business Administration as well as a Master’s in Business Ethics and Compliance from NECB

NECB: Why did you decide to attend NECB?

Shelly: My employer is a corporate partner of NECB. This made furthering my education for my own personal and professional growth attainable and more affordable because I was able to take advantage of NECB’s 25% corporate partner tuition discount.

NECB: What advice would you give to someone who is considering going to NECB?

Shelly: NECB is a local online college that has, in my opinion, some of the best educators in the country. The professors are highly educated, compassionate, personable, and relatable as they are students themselves. They know what it is like to be in a student’s shoes and understand what drives the need for educational success while being there with the students every step of the way.

NECB: What advice would you give to students to be successful with online learning? Any challenges you had to overcome? Or any misconceptions you had going in that turned out to be untrue?

Shelly: With continuing education, whether in a traditional setting or online learning, comes expectations. The beauty of an online platform is that it provides flexibility that is needed for the adult learner that has many personal responsibilities. The course is broken down into five or eight manageable weeks. Expectations are clearly outlined in the agenda, that if followed, can provide a smooth weekly routine, with no surprises. I can't lie, balancing family, work, and school was challenging at times, but professors and peers were always very supportive and available 24/7 to lend a hand.

NECB: How did you juggle working and attending college? Any tips you can share with future / current NECB Students?

Shelly: As mentioned above, juggling both work and college were both challenging and frustrating at times. I had a lot of support from my family, professors, NECB staff, and peers. One very important tip that I would share is, don't be afraid to reach out for help. Utilize all the resources that NECB has created and made available.

NECB: What’s your biggest takeaway from attending NECB?

Shelly: No more papers or group projects!!!! No seriously, my hard work and dedication to growth has finally paid off. My confidence has increased, and my employer has recognized my education initiative and has promoted me to a department within my field of study.

NECB: What’s next for you?

Shelly: My short-term goal is to continue to get acclimated into my new role at work. As for a long-term goal, well, I have been contemplating tackling a Doctoral Degree. I truly need to chew on that a bit.