“It’s honestly been quite a roller coaster.”
Ellen Butler worked through a series of twists and turns before earning her BSBA in Management online from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
She changed schools, changed majors, took breaks. And through it all, she supported herself financially.
“Pretty much since I graduated high school, I’ve had to pay my own way through college and life,” says Butler.
Butler’s roller coaster smoothed out when she was hired full-time in bookkeeping at Red Lerille’s Health & Racquet Club in 2018.
She gained a set schedule, a steady income, and a new drive to get her degree back on track.
“That re-lit the flame for me in business and management,” says Butler, who started out majoring in accounting before trying a different path.
Butler found the B.S.B.A. in Management program in the University’s selection of business degrees and knew the online option would give her the flexibility to keep working full-time.
Finding her Pace
Butler had two positive reactions to getting back on track: a confidence boost and feeling like she finally found the right fit.
“I felt more comfortable in the program,” she says. “I was a little more interested in what I was learning.”
Alas, the strength of her optimism and initiative led Butler to overwhelm herself with a heavy class-load.
Butler’s advisor, Dr. Dione Davis, stepped in and recommended Butler slow down, and after two overloaded semesters she listened.
Still, Butler faced the challenge of finding and maintaining balance between her job, school, family and friendships.
“It’s a balance making sure I’m working enough to keep a roof over my head, but also not too much… That’s been the biggest challenge.”
With some trial and error, Butler calibrated her weekly habits and found what worked for her.
“At first, I was just dedicating my weekends to doing all my schoolwork,” says Butler. “I realized quickly that is not sufficient at all and it burns me out.”
Instead, Butler would dedicate some weeknights to readings and assignments and only use Sundays if necessary.
Family and friends leaned in to support Butler, cheer her on, and enforce that balance where they could.
“I’m lucky to have a lot of family in Lafayette. I might not get to hang out with them much, but they’d tell me ‘Ellen, why don’t you come over, we’re cooking dinner tonight,’” says Butler.
Likewise, Butler says friends were supportive with “chill” times, like watching movies at home, so she “would still be able to study.”
The support was vital because Butler could be hard on herself when the stress mounted. Most often, she felt discouraged that her bachelor's degree was taking more than four years to complete.
“There were so many times that I wanted to give up,” says Butler. “But then there were so many times when I was like, ‘Ellen, you’re right there. You’re so close. You’re not going to come and do all this work to not have something to show for it.’”
Forging Ahead
Butler earned her bachelor’s degree in Fall ‘22, and before graduating, she also began her own business.
“It’s called Maillons; it’s permanent jewelry,” says Butler. “I do pop-ups and events, parties, things like that. It’s really kind of taken off.”
She also remains dedicated to her role in bookkeeping at the health club. As she and her position grow, she’s using more of what she learned in her business classes.
“I’m like half bookkeeping, half HR and payroll,” she says. “I love it. So, I hope to stay there for a long time.”