Sharon Tjandra is the kind of ambitious, hardworking student who, in years past, may have been left out of higher education. She always dreamed of earning a bachelor’s degree but moved to the U.S. on her own and works two jobs. Attending in-person classes would be practically impossible. After graduating in 2020 from Perimeter College with an associate degree in mathematics, Tjandra researched her options and discovered Robinson’s Online B.B.A. Degree Completion program, which enables students to seamlessly apply their course credits toward a bachelor’s.
The program’s online, asynchronous class structure has empowered Tjandra to balance schoolwork with earning an income. During her first year in the program, she worked with her advisor to build a sustainable course load and organize her time.
The online format allows Tjandra to absorb the material at her own pace. In Jennifer Daniels’s Buyer Behavior course, Tjandra completed an in-depth examination of outdoor apparel behemoth Patagonia, including an overview of its business strategies, how the company applies the four Ps of marketing, and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and PEST (political, economic, social and technological) analyses.
“I applied the theory and concepts I’d learned to make marketing recommendations for the company,” Tjandra said. “I really invested myself in it.”
Daniels also offered Tjandra professional development support and helped her build a LinkedIn profile to connect with potential employers. Tjandra is excited to graduate this May and aims to land a role involving the creation of innovative marketing strategies.
“The online B.B.A. program fits me in so many ways,” Tjandra said. “Now I can go after something I’m passionate about, not just another job.”