With her sights set on the C-suite, Jacque Draper didn’t let a busy schedule bog her down— earning her Iowa MBA while raising two sons and working full-time.
Ambition can take you anywhere
Jacque Draper has always been goal-oriented with an iron-clad work ethic. It’s these very Midwestern traits that made going for an MBA seem completely doable—even while raising two teenage sons and working full-time.
“I can remember watching my boys at soccer practice while I sat in my car and worked on my Capstone project with my team,” she laughs. “We were the last car in the lot.”
Jacque managed it all by attending both online and in-person classes in the evenings. It took commitment to make it happen. But she knew it was worth it.
“I knew always that getting my MBA was something I needed to help me get to where I wanted to go,” she says.
Count on connections
At first, Jacque was uncertain about online classes. Since she lives and works in Des Moines, in-person classes were an option. But she soon realized that she wouldn’t have to sacrifice on quality or connections even in a virtual classroom.
“I was very impressed with how engaged folks were with the online program,” she explains. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but with the cameras on and the conversations that were happening—you still had that level of engagement that I was afraid you’d miss in an online class.”
And now she’s built a network of professionals both on the ground in Des Moines and around the country.
“Even though the structure was online, I felt like we were able to establish a community with the resources that were available.”
Bringing coursework … to work
Since earning her MBA, Jacque has been promoted from a supervisor to a product owner. She engages with high-level stakeholders and executive team members, putting together go-to-market plans for new products.
Her MBA armed her with communication skills, data techniques, and a holistic view of how businesses operate. This end-to-end understanding allows her to see where her work fits into the big picture—and to present her ideas more strategically.
“With my Iowa MBA, I know I have a seat at the table, and that I belong there.”
Jacque also added a leadership concentration to round-out her degree and focus on a meaningful area of interest. As a team leader, the concentration also helped her understand different people’s styles and how they work best together.
If you can dream it, you can do it
Jacque now has her sights set on a CEO role, where she can make an even greater impact on both business and the communities they serve. And she’s all-in on leveraging the reputation of a top-ranked program to propel her into that bright future.
“Being able to say that I have an MBA from the University of Iowa gives me so much confidence.”
For anyone considering an MBA but not sure they can make it happen … Jacque has some advice:
“In the program, you’ll see folks from all different kinds of backgrounds, holding babies, kids coming in—all different kinds of circumstances. There’s no time like the present! If you want to make time for it, it’s possible.”