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Mike and Donna Gibson were updating their resumes so they could focus on future career opportunities – and they looked really good on paper. Both were IT Business Analysts with deep skill sets, experience and professional accomplishments. Both were also active in ministry life. But, neither one of them had completed their bachelor’s degrees. They were both ready to do more with their lives – to make a difference, to advance themselves, and to contribute to the community – and they didn’t want the absence of a bachelor’s degree to get in their way. Donna researched local schools, and the couple chose McGregor. Mike decided that a degree in Management would benefit him whether he pursued a position in business or in ministry. Donna added to her experience supporting payroll and personnel systems by pursuing a degree in Human Resource Management. Mike and Donna both worked and pursued their degrees full-time, which they completed in March 2008. Mike accepted a full-time ministry position while he was finishing his degree. What he learned at Midwest enhanced his leadership skills and he says that he gained a very solid foundation that he can use to lead others. Donna continues to work in the IT profession, and says she has gained confidence in her ability to communicate through effective writing. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did Midwest help you professionally? |
McGregor: |
Tell us a little bit about yourself. |
Mike: |
Donna and I were both current students at McGregor. I was working toward my bachelor’s degree and I completed a project management certificate also. I graduated with my bachelor’s in March '08. I graduated from Sinclair Community College in 1997 with my associate’s in Business Administration. I’m a Pastor at Victory Assembly of God, and I’ve been there about a month. When I started at McGregor, I was a business analyst and I was looking for a degree that would serve me well in either ministry or in the secular world. So, that’s why I chose the Management degree at Midwest – because I thought that it would serve me well in either arena. I was able to make the transition out of secular employment and into full-time ministry employment just a month ago. I’m enjoying it very much so far. ^Top |
Donna: |
I pursued my Human Resource Management degree at Midwest and completed that in March of 2008 as well. I also have an associate’s degree from Sinclair. I am an Information Technology Business Analyst. I have actually been in the information technology career field for 15 or 20 years. I have supported human resources and payroll, interface computer systems, and those types of things. We have both been very active in ministry. Mike is currently the lead Pastor at Victory Assembly of God, but we have many, many years of experience in ministry. I’m also credentialed with the Assemblies of God. Like Mike, I wanted a degree that would be beneficial to me no matter what I did, whether I worked in the church or whether I worked in the IT field. ^Top |
Mike: |
My background has been in ministry and in the business community, management, and various management positions. In ministry I’ve also served as music pastor and senior pastor. I’m a musician, and a singer and a songwriter. I have a lot of interests and a lot of ability. ^Top |
Donna: |
When we finish with our bachelor’s degrees I think we’ll both keep going and pursue our master’s degrees. ^Top |
Mike: |
Mine probably will not be through Midwest though because I’m probably going to be pursuing my master’s of Divinity for seminary. ^Top |
Donna: |
I know I’m going to complete my master’s. I’m still deciding in what area. But, with a degree in Human Resource Management and 15 years of experience in Information Technology, I believe that opportunities in the secular arena as well as the church arena will be wide open to me. I work for a public organization right now. ^Top |
Mike: |
Donna and I have been married for 26 years, and we are empty nesters. In our marriage we have done most everything together. So, it’s only natural that we went back to school together. ^Top |
McGregor: |
Why did you choose McGregor? |
Mike: |
We were taking a look at ourselves a couple of years ago when we were sending resumes out for ministry positions. In updating our resumes, we looked at our skill sets, and we looked at our accomplishments, and we had done some really good things. We looked really good on paper except for one thing – neither one of us had finished our bachelor’s degree. We were at the point where – to be able to make a difference and to make a change and to advance ourselves and to be able to contribute more to mankind – we felt that we needed the credentials that the bachelor’s degree would give us. ^Top |
Donna: |
And from my perspective, I went through a situation a few years back where my position was eliminated. And when I went to find another job, I found that almost every job that I wanted – and that I was capable of doing and qualified for – required a bachelor’s degree before they would even interview you. And at that point, I made a conscious decision that I would remove that hurdle; I would not be faced with that situation again. I value education because it opens up opportunities that you may not have – or that you may be held back from – otherwise. You can have the skill set to do the job and the experience to do the job, but the bachelor’s degree validates that for potential employers. ^Top |
Mike: |
Actually, Donna is the one who discovered Midwest and I went with her to an information session. And at first, I wasn’t keen on the idea of Antioch because it’s known as a liberal university. But, I went to the information session anyway. It wasn’t what I expected. I got a good look at the material and I was very interested in the management program and the project management certificate. At that time I was an IT business analyst. ^Top |
Donna: |
I started investigating schools to attend. I graduated from Sinclair Community College, and they have an articulation agreement with McGregor. Midwest also has an articulation agreement with UD, so those were the two schools that I really focused on. When I did my research, I found that both schools were accredited under the same accreditation. Well, UD would require me to go to school in the evening and various times during the day. At McGregor, I could spend the whole day on Saturday and get a bachelor’s degree with the same accreditation. And the overall length of the programs was about the same. ^Top |
Mike: |
I also have a degree from Sinclair, so my credits transferred in as well. So Donna and I started back to school at about the same time. We’ve been able to take some of the core classes together. ^Top |
Donna: |
Right. We weren’t in the same degree program and our class schedules weren’t always the same, but there were some core classes that were required. So, we were able to save expenses on books. And, because all of our classes were on Saturdays, we carpooled together. I think it was easier for us to appreciate the other one going to school. You know – do we want to go to a movie tonight? No, we need to study. We were very understanding of each other’s situation. ^Top |
Mike: |
Having been there, I would still describe Midwest and Antioch as liberal. However, Midwest is a completely separate entity from the College. You have instructors who are not regular university professors. They have their own careers. They have their own businesses. So, what they’re bringing into the classroom is unique – especially in the management degree program. I’d say that they have a unique business perspective, more so than you’d expect to find at a school with a liberal college mentality. ^Top |
Donna: |
It’s fully accredited with a great business reputation in the community. The instructors that I had teach at other colleges, as well as teaching at Midwest University. ^Top |
Mike: |
She said very well what I meant to say. ^Top |
Donna: |
We work as a team. ^Top |
McGregor: |
How did Midwest help you professionally? |
Mike: |
Well, being in the ministry, personally and professionally kind of overlap. Probably the biggest advantage that I have achieved at Midwest is my leadership skills. It helped me to really tune-in to who I am and my personal makeup – to establish a very solid foundation of who I really am so that I can lead others. ^Top |
Donna: |
For myself, being in Human Resources, Midwest helped by introducing diversity without compromising my values. ^Top |
Mike: |
I think I know what Donna is saying – I experienced it. Midwest and Antioch is known for its liberality. And I remember being in a class where just about everything was being accepted except conservative Christian values. And I spoke up. I said, “Why is it at our school that anything goes and anything’s accepted except conservative Christian values? I am a conservative Christian.” The people in the class, they kind of took a step back and said, “You’re right.” That wasn’t their exact verbiage, but the feel was, “You’re right.” And they backed off. I had never really experienced that. Everybody has been very respectful of my conservative Christian beliefs. And tolerant. And I feel comfortable listening to their beliefs also. ^Top |
Donna: |
McGregor teaches you to respect opinions without compromising your own values. Your group and the classroom is group-focused, so everyone has a voice and no one is shot down. ^Top |
McGregor: |
Did you have an ‘Aha Moment’ at McGregor? |
Mike: |
I think my “Aha” moment came last quarter in a class called Leadership for Groups and Organizations. I was really able to come to terms with who I am, and I was able to become comfortable with who I am. Before that class I didn’t really realize – I was thinking that I was somebody that I was wanting to be. So, through that class, and through the discussion, and through the material, I was able to understand who I really am instead of trying to be somebody that I want to be. ^Top |
McGregor: |
What advice would you give to a new student? |
Donna: |
To believe in yourself and to respect the values and opinions of others. ^Top |
Mike: |
I would say be tolerant and patient with yourself and others. Also, it takes a great deal of organization. It takes a great deal of flexibility. It takes a great deal of setting your priorities and realizing that sometimes a school assignment may take priority over something. But there are other times when real life has to take priority over the school assignment. ^Top |
Donna: |
Sacrifice is involved in order to go to school full-time and have a life. Typically what is scarified is vacation. But we still find time to enjoy going places and doing things. A good example for Midwest would be at lunchtime – we go enjoy Yellow Springs. ^Top |
Mike: |
We’d go take a walk or go to Glen Helen together. ^Top |
Donna: |
There’s a lot of work that’s involved with going to school full-time and working full-time and being active in the community. You just seize any opportunity to have that together time. ^Top |