An MBA is a versatile degree that many professionals use to switch careers or pursue a promotion. For Sally Stiel, that wasn’t the case. As Vice President of Marketing for the LSU Alumni Association, she didn't go back to school to leave her work behind; she went back to understand it more fully.
Her experience offers another way to think about graduate education. It can help you become better at the work you're already doing.
Before joining the Alumni Association in June 2017, Sally spent years as Advertising Manager at L'Auberge Hotel & Casino and as a Senior Media Planner/Buyer at SKG Advertising and Edelman Advertising. These days, her role spans marketing and communications, corporate partnerships, the Traveling Tigers travel program, events, hospitality, The Cook Hotel & Conference Center, and the LSU Alumni Gift Shop.
"My career has really been a combination of marketing, travel, hospitality, events, partnerships and, perhaps most importantly, my love for connecting people and organizations with experiences that matter to them," she said. "My work has touched many different audiences and business lines, but the common thread has always been finding ways to create value, engage alumni, tell a compelling story, and build relationships."
Her tie to LSU goes well beyond her job title. The university has influenced and connected her personal and professional life for years, and working for the Alumni Association gave her a chance to help other graduates feel that same sense of connection.
Why Would an Experienced Leader Return to School?
So, what made a seasoned marketing leader decide to go back to school? Her parents had always encouraged higher education, and the idea sat in the back of her mind, gaining weight as her responsibilities grew.
"I don't think there was one single moment when I suddenly decided, 'I need an MBA,'" she recalled. "It was always in the back of my mind but was more of a realization that developed as my career continued to grow."
She had built programs, managed multi-channel campaigns, developed partnerships, planned major events, and taken on increasing leadership. Those experiences gave her a strong foundation, but she felt the urge to know more.
"I wanted a stronger understanding of the financial, operational, organizational, and strategic considerations that should be influencing decisions," she explained. "I also recognized that the further I progressed in my career, the more important it was to be able to see the entire organization rather than simply my particular area of responsibility."
The timing also made a difference. During the COVID shutdown, she was off the road with a rare chance to slow down and focus on something she had been considering for a while. Because the degree was online, she could start without leaving her job. When travel and events started back up, that flexible format became even more essential.
Why LSU Was the Right Fit
One of the most important factors in Sally’s decision to return to school was LSU itself. The university's online offering had only been around a few years when she started at the Alumni Association. She already had a deep connection to campus, but through a growing partnership with the LSU Online team, she kept learning more.
"I had been out of the classroom for a long time, and my work and event schedule was already demanding," she admitted. "With travel, events and professional responsibilities constantly changing, I wasn't sure how I would realistically fit graduate school into my life. The online MBA ended up being the answer for me."
She wasn't at a point where stepping away from work full time made sense. She had real responsibilities and wanted to keep growing professionally while she learned.
What It’s Like Learning While Working
Balancing graduate-level coursework with a demanding leadership role was no small feat, especially during football season and spring events.
"What I also appreciated was that I was working while I was earning the degree, which meant I was constantly able to connect what I was learning in class to situations I was dealing with or had previously dealt with professionally," she said. "That made the experience much more meaningful. Instead of thinking, 'This is something I learned in school,' I began thinking, 'I can actually use this, and put it into my daily practice immediately.'"
"It was definitely a lot," she said. "One of the biggest lessons was learning that there is never going to be a perfect time to go back to school. There will always be a work deadline, an event, a trip, a personal commitment or something else that needs your attention."
Flexibility didn't make the work disappear. It still took discipline and organization to earn her degree. Sally recalled nights of coursework after a full day at the office, weekends catching up on assignments, and early mornings in hotel lobbies before LSU chapter events.
"The ability to pause the program and adjust my course schedule was especially important as my travel and event responsibilities increased," she noted. "Rather than having to choose between my career and my education, I could make thoughtful decisions about when to take courses and when to step back temporarily. I became much more deliberate about prioritization. I had to determine what truly needed my attention, what could wait, and where I needed to focus my energy to get the best result."
Learning From Different Business Lenses
An element of the program that stood out was the chance to learn alongside people from all over the country—CFOs, CEOs, fellow marketing professionals, and students who had just graduated. Since she was already established in her field, she would approach a business problem through the lens of audience and relationships, while classmates tackled the same problem through the lens of finance or operations.
"The collaboration with everyone really helped me to see things from different perspectives," she reflected. "Those different perspectives challenged me to think beyond my own area of expertise."
One highlight was Dana Hart's Leadership Essentials course.
"The class encouraged me to reevaluate how I think, communicate, and interact with others, while also providing valuable insights into change management and other leadership topics that were highly relevant to my professional growth at that stage of my career," she said. "You're never too far in your career path to continue learning, especially when it comes to leadership."
How Sally Learned to Zoom Out of One Perspective
The biggest shift in thought for Sally came from realizing that having a great idea isn't enough. You have to understand how that idea fits into the larger organization and whether it creates sustainable value. It sounds simple, but it changed how she looked at her work.
Before the degree, she naturally approached problems from her own discipline: the audience, the message, the campaign, the experience. The coursework taught her to consider what those decisions meant for the organization as a whole.
"Who are we trying to serve? What problem are we solving? What does success actually look like? What are the financial implications? How do other departments benefit from it? What resources are required? How does this support the organization's broader objectives? What are we giving up by choosing one opportunity over another?" she said. "Those questions became increasingly natural for me."
She started seeing her work in marketing not just as communications or experiences, but as a strategic and analytical activity that should contribute to business growth and measurable outcomes.
On Being in and Creating LSU Community
Earning an MBA from the same university where she built so much of her professional life and earned her undergraduate degree carries particular meaning.
"I don't just work for LSU—I am now a two-time LSU alumna, and I understand what it means to really have a connection to the university," she said. "That perspective is incredibly valuable in my role with the Alumni Association because my job is ultimately strengthening that connection for other people."
Whether welcoming alumni back to campus, creating travel experiences through Traveling Tigers, developing corporate partnerships, supporting events, or communicating with graduates around the world, the work isn't about selling a product or promoting an event.
"We're creating opportunities for people to remain connected to a place that means something to them," she said. "My MBA gave me a broader understanding of the business and strategic side of the work while allowing me to remain deeply connected to the mission and community that attracted me to LSU in the first place."
Hers is, she noted, a unique spot to occupy: a recipient of the LSU experience, alumna, employee of the Alumni Association, and graduate of the online MBA program all at once.
An MBA Can Help You Become Better in Your Career
Looking back at who she was before starting, the growth that stands out most is in her confidence. Not just believing she could do something but trusting her ability to think strategically and hold her own in conversations beyond her traditional expertise.
"[The MBA] gave me another language for understanding the work I was already doing and helped me see opportunities and challenges from a broader organizational perspective," she said. "In leadership, there isn't always a perfect answer. Sometimes you have incomplete information, competing priorities, and multiple good options. The MBA gave me additional tools and taught me to try to evaluate those situations more systematically and make the best strategic decision with the information available.”
Finally, Sally’s advice to anyone considering the degree? Don't wait for the perfect time.
"If you're considering an MBA but you're waiting for your life or career to become less busy, I would encourage you not to wait for the perfect time. There probably isn't one," she said. "Just pull the trigger to get your path started. For me, the value of the online MBA wasn't just earning the degree. It was being able to apply what I was learning while I was actively working and growing in my career."
"If I had had the tools provided by the MBA earlier in my career, some of the decisions I made over the past years probably would have looked a little different, and more strategic," she reflected. "Sometimes the most powerful education is the one that helps you become better at the career you're already building."
Explore the Online Flores MBA from LSU
Sally's story is a reminder that graduate education isn't only for those looking to start over. For professionals who want to deepen their expertise, think more strategically, and lead with greater confidence, the online Flores MBA offers a flexible path that lets you keep building the career you already have while expanding what you're capable of within it.
Learn more about the online Flores MBA from the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business, and apply today.
Employers can help employees continue growing in the careers they're already building through education benefits. LSU Online partners with employers to provide flexible degrees, certificates, and professional development opportunities aligned with workforce needs. Interested in becoming a partner?
