“Unicorn” MBA: How Chelsea Doman Finds Her Great For Gise Business School
As a single mother of four, Chelsea Doman knows that ambition to go back to school is more than just ambition. This will require a program that is truly suitable for her busy life. She has built a career spanning pipeline operations, a decade of data analytics, for education-advocating nonprofit organizations as well as for the automotive industry’s corporate analytics. But her passion for learning remains.
“I’ve always loved studying. Stop with my bachelor didn’t seem to be enough,” she said. “I have all kinds of points and it seems that it’s time to go back to school, but I’m not sure if I should do my master’s in linguistics or engineering.
Many graduate programs are not possible between her responsibilities as a mom, working full-time, and a family that makes a living by income. They are either too expensive, too time consuming, or too stiff. Then she found out IMBA, University of Illinois GIES Business School.
“When I saw Illinois have an online MBA with Coursera, it was like heaven opened. I grew up in Illinois, so I got my degree from there when I lived in Wisconsin add No need to learn GMAT…it’s like I found a unicorn! This is exactly what I want. ”
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Why MBA, why Gith?
“My friend did an MBA online at another university. It seems possible to see that she can pursue this while working and become a mom. Being a single parent, a single income family, and over 20 years of my career, I don’t want to get six-figure debt because what is ROI?”
For Chelsea, the MBA is not about chasing a bigger salary or title. This is to increase her affinity for learning and achieving her personal goals.
“I do this for the joy of learning, a long-term goal, a holistic business understanding, and any opportunities that may be brought to you.”
She needed a flexible, affordable and reputable plan, so when Chelsea discovered that GIES Business School offered its MBA completely online, it felt like perfect consistency. It’s a world-class institution that she wants the academic rigor that is delivered in a format that allows her to actually balance work, parenting and everything in between.
A transformative experience
Chelsea participated in the GIES business IMBA in January 2022 and her expectations exceeded expectations. She was quickly swallowed up by live and virtual social and academic network groups.
“I have a strong friendship with people who have started online! Every day, you have the opportunity to meet and interact with different people from all over the world.”
Chelsea began to build confidence gradually due to initial tensions about some aspects of the course. Eventually, she finds herself thriving on a subject she once feared.
“My most nervous class was statistics, which ended up being one of my favorites. It was great to be able to stay in Excel all the time, and of course, the professors made it so fun and fun. Since then, I was overwhelmed at any time and I wanted to go back to statistics.”
The community is different from anything she has experienced. GIES Business School is very committed to building online communities for learners, and Chelsea’s experience proves this.
“Every day you have the opportunity to meet and interact with different people from all over the world. I didn’t expect the network and the level of engagement. Gith is a very unique community and people are very eager to work together and learn together.”
Balanced careers, families and courses
“Beginning is the scariest thing. Once you get into it, it’s so amazing. Of course, it’s not an easy route for all the other work I’ve gone through. But, it’s not an easy route! But of course I’m going to appreciate it more in my 40s than in my 20s.
Chelsea uses Coursera’s platform and online format to make learning time for her schedule. She thanks her for being able to learn and digest new information in the scope.
“When I was looking for online learning, Coursera was my go-to. It attracted many different learning styles. Visual learners have videos. If you are willing to read, you can speed up the subtitles and you can speed up or slow down. These videos can search for information and can predict every semester. I really like the flexibility of it.”
Changes or career development beyond TITEL
While many pursue MBA careers, Chelsea hopes others know there is another reason to make a leap.
“There are often questions like, ‘How did you upgrade your degree? How many promotions did you get? What is your salary?’ But in reality, the program is so affordable and meaningful that you don’t necessarily be need Changes in position or salary. You will be doing this transformative journey in this program and you can’t really come up with a price tag. transparent
Throughout the GIES experience, Chelsea achieved self-realization. However, she points out the value of the final peak course and its impact on her.
“The stimulation of daily learning is like struggling with marble blocks, and you can’t actually see what’s going on in it. But the ultimate pinnacle is a great opportunity to reflect on the entire experience and how much I’ve grown.”
Today, Chelsea is a proud graduate of the IMBA program and a data engineering manager at Sargento Foods. She is confident and proud of her newly obtained diploma and recognizes how MBA has made her a leader in more comprehensive and global connections around the world.
“The Gith influence after retirement will last for a long time. I really never imagined how changeable its experience would be. Sure, I expected ‘book knowledge’, but just my understanding of myself? I mean, it’s a life-changing change.”
Interested in following Chelsea’s path?
this GIES Business IMBA from the University of Illinois Completely online at any career stage, very affordable and built for ambitious professionals. Whether you are pursuing career development, personal enrichment, or both, join the global network and get a truly transformative experience.



