Our partner universities help students advance in their careers and improve their lives through online learning. Many times, our Risepoint teammates are able to leverage the affordability, flexibility, and quality of our partners’ programs.
Andrea Thurston, a Content Writing Specialist at Risepoint, is one of those teammates. Andrea recently completed her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Pittsburg State University (Pitt State), advancing her professional journey from educator to marketing leader — all while balancing a full-time role and a thriving creative career.
Andrea shared how graduating from one of our partner universities has strengthened her expertise and confidence as a marketing professional.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?
Andrea began her career as an English teacher and debate coach after earning her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Kansas. When life changes took her across the country, she decided it was time to pivot.
“I was an English teacher for five years and I coached debate. When I was ready to transition out of teaching, my partner got his dream job in Las Vegas. We needed to move, and I needed a remote job. I’d always been interested in marketing — I’d always been a freelance writer — and so I transitioned to Risepoint as a writer in marketing.
After a while, I was just excited by marketing… I thought, ‘I really want to make this my career now.’ So, I began my MBA through Pitt State.”
For Andrea, Pittsburg State University stood out for its flexibility and holistic admissions process:
“I chose Pitt State because their admission process was holistic. I didn’t have an undergraduate degree in business, but I’d successfully started two businesses and sold one’s IP, so they considered that when accepting me. Also, I had a master’s degree from a different university, which they looked at, too. Not having leveling courses was excellent. It was wonderful to dive into the curriculum headfirst and feel trusted that I was capable enough to figure everything out. Which I did!”
How has your MBA influenced your career at Risepoint?
Andrea’s pursuit of her MBA is already opening doors.
“Being able to say I’m nearly done with my MBA in marketing has been so incredibly valuable and really helped garner some seriousness when applying for new positions at Risepoint.”
The program also gave her confidence and credibility within the marketing field:
“Data is just another language to learn — it’s just reading, but different. Having the MBA behind me, I could point to my consumer analytics and quantitative business analysis classes and say, ‘I’ve used Tableau. I’ve been in Salesforce because of these experiences.’ It gave me a lot of good experience that I could tell people during interviews, and they could say, ‘Oh, she’s maybe more than the first couple lines of her resume.’”
What has been your experience learning online with Pitt State?
Like many professionals, Andrea not only values the flexibility of online learning, but requires it to further her education while also working full-time.
“The flexibility was really important to me… Being able to schedule my life around the coursework helped so much. I would not have done an in-person program.”
Despite studying online, Andrea has found ways to build strong professional connections:
“I’ve still maintained connections with my peers — LinkedIn connections, phone calls. If someone’s nervous about the online experience, there’s just no need to be. You can make connections no matter what.”
She even met the Director of the Chamber of Commerce for Pittsburg, Kansas, through a class discussion board — a reflection of how online learning can connect people across functional levels and areas.
How has Pitt State’s faculty shaped your experience?
“The faculty at Pitt State have been so knowledgeable… All of the faculty I’ve had have clearly had industry expertise. They would reference their time working for a zoo or a large corporation and talk about the differences between being a one-person marketing team versus part of a large department. They did an excellent job of bringing their personal experiences into the coursework and instructional videos.”
Andrea also appreciates how accessible the instructors make the experience:
“I love face-to-face instructional videos. I do play them on two-times speed, but there’s something about it — it just feels more personal.”
What is your risepoint moment?
At Risepoint, we are passionate about creating “risepoint” moments for our university partners, their students, and each other. A risepoint is a moment that changes someone’s trajectory for the better in the long term. For Andrea, it was when she realized she was ready to reach for her dream role.
“I had always wanted to be an Integrated Marketing Manager from the day I started at Risepoint. I logged into my first kickoff meeting and thought, ‘I want that job.’
I had a moment in February where I messaged Mike Richards, a Senior Integrated Marketing Manager, and asked him about the job before applying. He said, ‘Why are you waiting? Apply now.’
It changed my whole life. He introduced me to other Integrated Marketing Managers (IMMs), and my director, Nicole Overton, was so supportive. She let me know that she wanted me to stay and succeed here [at Risepoint]. And now, Nicole Bolner, a Senior Director of Integrated Marketing, is also mentoring me. Everyone moved mountains to make sure I was prepared.”
That moment marked the culmination of Andrea’s MBA journey — and the beginning of a new chapter.
“The MBA opened the conversational door and gave me credibility. It showed I wasn’t just saying, ‘Maybe someday.’ I was saying, ‘In October, I graduate — and I’m ready.’”
Looking ahead
Andrea’s story reflects the heart of what Risepoint stands for — supporting university and student success while encouraging our own colleagues to pursue their educational goals.
Congratulations, Andrea! We’re incredibly proud of your accomplishments, your dedication to lifelong learning, and your commitment to empowering students through your work and example.
