Despite working full time, La Salle’s online course options have helped Kenya Gayles, ‘25, achieve her education goals.
Even while working full time, Kenya Gayles, ’25, graduated from La Salle’s online MBA program in May.
Working full time in events on top of being a business owner doesn’t sound like it would leave much time for earning a graduate degree; however, La Salle’s Online MBA course options gave Kenya Gayles, ‘25, the flexibility she needed.
Although she looked at a few possibilities for her MBA, Gayles decided that La Salle’s program was the right fit.
“I really thought La Salle was the best for me, mostly because it gives a really hands- on experience,” Gayles, who graduated in May 2025, said. “The program allowed me to work with other professionals across different industries, which really tailored towards what I was trying to accomplish.”
For Gayles, who has worked in the non-profit sector for most of her career, the online MBA looked like a great opportunity to grow the management and leadership skills she found herself needing as she moved up into more senior positions.
“Working and learning at the same time was really helpful in helping me be able to apply those skills firsthand,” Gayles, who has rental properties and helps with a family water business, said.
The online aspect and flexibility of the program was another benefit as Gayles was able to see the scope of what she would be doing for the year which allowed her to continue to thrive in all areas of her life.
“Being able to go at my own pace is so important because, especially in events management, week by week, things are ever changing,” she said. “Being able to fit the program in, still get good grades, still really grow and learn while also making sure I’m keeping up with my work environment, was really important to me.”
This flexibility was complemented by the professors she had teaching her. She said they are “really knowledgeable and eager to help and support the students and build you from wherever you are into where you’re trying to go.”
Her professors’ availability and how easy it was to access them was something she credited with helping her success in the program.
“Having access to my professors, sometimes at 7 o’clock at night when I finally get to sit down and tackle some of the coursework really, really helped me grow,” Gayles said.
She also gained unique insights from her classmates. Being online means that her peers came from all different backgrounds, so things like group projects were tackled from many different perspectives. Collaboration was something that she always enjoyed, so being able to continue to do that even in an online setting was a credit to the program.
“I was really excited to reconnect with some of my peers in the work landscape beyond here,” she said. “To see what they do and know that we all have this connection from La Salle, it makes me feel like we’re all out here doing big things—and that’s pretty motivating. It honestly just makes me proud to be part of the Lasallian community.”
Her time as an Explorer helped Gayles develop the knowledge she wanted to continue advancing in her career.
“The program has really grown a lot of my leadership skills,” Gayles said. “I’ve really enjoyed being able to dive deeper into my own leadership style and how I can make sure that I am a leader people want to follow.”
It’s also given her confidence about the future.
“I feel really confident in taking the next step in my career because of this program. I also own my own business and have been really afraid to kind of grow it beyond what I have right now,” she said. “I think after I complete this program, I feel a little bit braver to step out and see what this looks like scaled up.”
– Naomi Thomas
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