{"id":3965,"date":"2022-02-16T03:11:30","date_gmt":"2022-02-16T03:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northcentral.edu\/blog\/?p=3965"},"modified":"2022-04-07T10:56:45","modified_gmt":"2022-04-07T10:56:45","slug":"outstanding-grduate-student-finds-perfect-fit-at-north-central","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northcentral.edu\/blog\/outstanding-grduate-student-finds-perfect-fit-at-north-central\/","title":{"rendered":"Outstanding graduate student finds perfect fit at North Central"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adrienne Long, M.A., was rolling along successfully in a 16-year banking career she began straight out of college, complete with a long line of promotions and plenty of growth opportunities.<\/p>\n

Long enjoyed her job as a project manager for a top national bank and recalled, \u201cI was searching for something but not knowing specifically what it was; but I knew that it was to continue my education.\u201d She began the enrollment process in a master\u2019s degree at a different university but kept delaying the start because she sensed it was not the right fit.<\/p>\n

In what she calls a \u201cdestiny moment,\u201d she was introduced to North Central University through Jakes Divinity School<\/a>. \u201cAfter immersing in the program at NCU, I just kind of fell in love! I now have lifelong connections and friendships I attribute to North Central University, as well as the maturity of really understanding my purpose and my fit.\u201d She said the process of \u201cleaning into the Holy Spirit and saying \u2018yes\u2019\u201d led her to the place that was a perfect fit. Long earned her Master of Arts in Strategic Leadership<\/a> (MASL) with a concentration in Business Administration Leadership in May 2021.<\/p>\n

Excelling in scholarship<\/h3>\n

Through her course of study for the MASL, Long was challenged and stretched academically. Her master\u2019s degree thesis, which will soon be published, was \u201cFollowership Enablement of Toxic Leadership and Mitigation Strategies.\u201d The program\u2019s flexibility allowed her to pursue her research through the lens of followership. \u201cThrough my career in corporate America,\u201d Long observed, \u201cI have unfortunately been exposed to many toxic environments. And through the course of such exposure and the hurt that comes with toxic leadership, I wanted to explore the question: how can I eradicate toxic leadership behaviors as a follower?\u201d<\/p>\n

Energized by her studies and the opportunity to expand her thinking through challenging academic research, Long has subsequently enrolled in an Organizational Leadership doctoral program. \u201cThe more I went through the process [at NCU], I knew that I wanted to continue this learning journey\u2014not for the sake of education only but because leadership is a passion of mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are not enough Christian leadership dynamics exemplified in the everyday marketplace. So I\u2019m continuing my educational journey to be a leader in infusing those principles in the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Support for success<\/h3>\n

Beyond the academic growth, what stood out for Long during her master\u2019s program was the incredible level of support she received along the way from her peers, faculty, and staff. \u201cThe people at North Central make North Central University so special,\u201d Long said. \u201cFrom support staff to professors, there is such a purity of love for the students! They\u2019re not just concerned about us understanding the course objectives, but they really are concerned with the holistic wellbeing of the individual.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going through the majority of her program after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought additional challenges and brought students together in a unique way. Long and her classmates were all going through the program online and lived across several states, but they had committed to one another at the outset of the program that \u201cno one gets left behind.\u201d As her classmates walked through the stress of personal or family illness, they would check in on one another to make sure they were staying on track with their coursework and offering prayer support. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t typically happen at a traditional university,\u201d Long said.<\/p>\n

To recognize Long’s academic excellence and her positive influence on the culture of the graduate program, she was selected as the 2021 Outstanding MASL Graduate by NCU’s College of Graduate and Professional Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Advancement and encouragement<\/h3>\n

As she moved into her doctoral studies, Long also received an opportunity to serve as a vice president in Global Human Resources at her company and is also serving as an adjunct instructor in NCU\u2019s undergraduate program. She is not daunted by all that is on her plate and is grateful for the doors of opportunity opened through her graduate studies at NCU through Jakes Divinity School.<\/p>\n

Long is effusive in her praise for the MASL program and said she would encourage anyone feeling that \u201cnudge\u201d to pursue advanced education.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollow the guidance of the Holy Spirit,\u201d Long said, \u201cand have faith to know that if this is a desire that\u2019s God-ordained, you\u2019re going to get the support you need for you to be successful in the program. Do not discount going back because you think you can\u2019t afford it, because God will make a way. Do not discount continuing your education because you feel as if you don\u2019t have the capacity, because your professors and peers will help you throughout the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may start out daunting, but it will ease as you mature through the program. Don\u2019t let anything stop you if you know this is what you need to do, because help is always on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adrienne Long, M.A., was rolling along successfully in a 16-year banking career she began straight out of college, complete with a long line of promotions and plenty of growth opportunities. Long enjoyed her job as a project manager for a top national bank and recalled, \u201cI was searching for something but not knowing specifically what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":3967,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[158],"class_list":["post-3965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-programs","tag-graduate-studies"],"yoast_head":"\nOutstanding graduate student finds perfect fit - Table Salt | NCU Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Master of Arts in Strategic Leadership student Adrienne Long finds academic challenge and lifelong connections in graduate program.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.northcentral.edu\/blog\/outstanding-grduate-student-finds-perfect-fit-at-north-central\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Outstanding graduate student finds perfect fit - 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