Beth Cassels-Anderson '18

In December of 2016, I received an eye-catching postcard from The American Women’s College (TAWC) at Bay Path University in the mail, detailing the strategic human resource management degree program. I was curious, so I visited the website and chatted with an advisor online before she picked up the phone and called. That conversation was exactly what I needed. We started the admissions process that day.

I was accepted into The American Women's College in January 2017, and began classes in February. The flexible, fully-online format of the program suits the way that I work and live. In addition, knowing that there are women out there who are in the same situation as I am, who’ve been my cheerleaders as I have been theirs, is truly special. This journey is not easy, and there are times I’ve been moved to tears, but having each other’s support makes it all worthwhile. We have a sense of community here that I don't know that I would have enjoyed anywhere else. 

As a result, I’m more confident than ever before. I’ve also realized the importance of lifting other women up. And, as for the courses that I've taken, I cannot say enough about how they've extended the knowledge that I'd gained throughout my career, especially in financial acumen and strategic alignment. As a human resources major, these courses have reinforced my passion to assist, coach, and advise others. The WELL (We Empower Learners and Leaders) program has really been a game-changer for me, too. During the very first course, I began to develop a whole new perspective on women in leadership, and I have TAWC to thank for that.

Based upon all that I've learned in my last two years at TAWC, I’m more ambitious than ever before, yet my ambitions have changed. I've learned that being happy and surrounded by teammates that have your back is equally as important as success. When I was younger, continued promotions that fueled financial growth were a priority. Now, I'd say that my ultimate career goal is taking everything I've learned here and identifying a role where I'm surrounded by teammates that share my values, and am part of a workplace culture that affords everyone on the team the opportunity to innovate, to give back to the community, and to have fun each day at work. To me, that would be serendipitous.

With my last two courses drawing to a close, I'm getting giddy to think about what's next.