Victoria Alleman spends her days helping shape one of Lafayette’s most beloved community spaces: Moncus Park.
Before it became the hub it is today, the land was known as the “Horse Farm.” It's a place with deep ties to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where Alleman earned her marketing degree in 2014.
“Back in the day, when UL Lafayette was called USL, the cafeteria milk came from the cows here on the Horse Farm,” Alleman says. “They were all kept on this property.”
The space has since been transformed into a 100-acre urban park that welcomes nearly half a million visitors each year. As part of the team behind its growth, Alleman brings in the funding and partnerships that keep the park thriving.
“We raised about $2.3 million last year from different leaders in the community,” she says. “Many of them are repeat supporters who just want to make our city the very best it can be.”
But her work is about more than raising money; it’s about building something that lasts. As she navigates nonprofit planning, Alleman draws on what she learned in UL Lafayette’s online MBA program.
“A huge focus right now is making sure the park plays a role in advancing Lafayette’s quality of life. We want to help companies recruit and retain talent from UL Lafayette, SoLAcc, and our other higher ed institutions," she says.
"We see this mass exodus of young people after they graduate. If the park can be part of what makes them stay, we want to do our part.”
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Before her role at Moncus Park, Alleman built her career across fast-paced industries. But it was her time in investor relations at One Acadiana, a local economic development group, that shifted her view.
“Being surrounded by leaders in our community shows you how much they value determination,” she says. “Yes, you learn different subjects and do your research in school... But at the end of the day, what school really teaches you is grit — and that’s needed in the business world.”
It was this perspective that pushed Alleman to consider graduate school. At the same time, she and her husband were growing their family, and she'd just stepped into her role as development director at Moncus Park.
Flexibility was non-negotiable.
“I needed something online,” says Alleman. “Going every Tuesday and Thursday night just wasn’t realistic for me.”
So, she returned to where her academic journey began, enrolling in UL Lafayette’s MBA online program.
Putting MBA Knowledge to Work
Going back to school after nearly 10 years was an adjustment.
“I hadn't taken online courses before, so I had to ask my younger coworkers how to use Moodle,” Alleman laughs. “It was a learning curve, but it was worth it.”
The transition didn’t take long. She soon found the MBA online program aligned perfectly with her work.
As Development Director for Moncus Park, Alleman touches every part of the operation from fundraising and strategic planning to community engagement.
And courses like MGMT525: Organizational Behavior and Leadership revealed the real-world benefits right away.
“We had just gone through a big leadership change at Moncus Park when I took that class,” she says. “It was interesting to relate real-life examples to what we were learning in class.”
Each assignment gave her a chance to reflect on the work she was already doing.
“It felt like my research had some meat and potatoes to it,” she says. “With my professional experience, I could apply exactly how it happened in the real world.”
Her advice for those thinking about graduate school? Let your experience guide you.
“If you have real scenarios to apply to the business schoolwork, you get so much out of it,” she says. "I was working full time, having a baby, and taking a final two days out of the hospital. It’s not easy, but it's totally doable.”
Ready to level up your business knowledge? Learn more about the MBA online program.
