Doing Double Duty

The BU Class of 2016 includes 257 staff and faculty members, who earned degrees while working full-time. Photo by Dave Green

Among the 6,688 BU undergraduate and graduate students who earned degrees this year was a group of more than 200 who carved out the time to pull off this difficult feat while working full-time at BU. As any of them can tell you, it isn’t easy juggling both: many scheduled classes at night or during lunch hours, squeezed online courses in where they could, and spent weekends cramming for tests and writing papers.

Below are snapshots of a few of the 257 staff and faculty who managed to hold down jobs and complete degrees at the same time this year.

Hats off to all who pulled double duty.

Martha Bebinger. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Martha Bebinger (GRS’16), health care and science reporter, WBUR

Degree: MA, American Literature

Bebinger, a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard and Health Journalism Fellow at the University of Southern California Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, says her lifelong aspiration has been to become a better reader and writer, and this BU degree has helped her realize both goals. “I like the world of ideas,” she says.

Miriam Brody. Photo by Cydney Scott

Miriam Brody (SPH’16), research assistant, New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center, Health and Disability Research Institute, BU School of Public Health

Degree: Master of Public Health in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Brody wants to make a lasting impact on the health care field. She hopes to use her new degree “to take on a project management role in a research program that is aimed at helping at-risk and underserved populations attain better health outcomes.”

Christian R. Estrella. Photo by Cydney Scott

Christian R. Estrella (CAS’96, MET’16), senior manager of finance and administration, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies

Degree: MS, Computer Information Systems

Estrella pursued a master’s degree to increase his understanding of information technology, with the goal of furthering his professional development.

Francois Exilhomme. Photo by Cydney Scott

Francois Exilhomme (MET’16), manager of admissions, BU School of Social Work

Degree: MS, Project Management

Exilhomme wanted to enhance his skills and take advantage of all the opportunities BU offers. He says what he learned studying project management will enhance his performance as SSW manager of admissions and help him in his entrepreneurial endeavors outside of BU, which include teaching martial arts.

Raul Fernandez. Photo by Alexandra Wimley (COM’17)

Raul Fernandez (COM’00, SED’16), associate director, Student Activities

Degree: EdD, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Fernandez studied for his doctorate for five years, while working first as assistant director of the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and then as associate director of Student Activities. His dream is to one day teach graduate students working toward degrees in higher education.

Damien Garcia. Photo by Cydney Scott

Damien Garcia (MET’16), senior web producer, Interactive Design, Marketing & Communications

Degree: MS, Advertising

Garcia hopes that his new degree will advance his career. “I’ve always been told that I’d make a great teacher some day, and having this degree opens the door to opportunities I wouldn’t otherwise have,” he says. “One of the greatest benefits of working at BU is the ability to take classes through the Tuition Remission Program, so I capitalized on it. Thanks, BU.”

Maritza Melara. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Maritza Melara (MET’16), area manager, Facilities Management & Planning

Degree: BS, Management Studies

A six-year employee of BU, Melara says she “always wanted to get my degree, and I wouldn’t have been able to afford it without the tuition remission benefits I received here.” She began working part-time at the University as a custodian and eventually took on a full-time night shift position so she could earn a degree. She was promoted last month to a management position.

Meredith Mooney. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Meredith Mooney (Questrom’16), director, government policy, Government & Community Affairs

Degree: MBA

Mooney earned an MBA with an emphasis on public policy and nonprofit management. She hopes to develop a career in one of those two areas.

Gillian Ojeda. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Gillian Ojeda (MED’16), senior medical assistant, Student Health Services

Degree: MS, Biomedical Crisis Management

Ojeda says that her role in emergency preparedness drills as part of her position at Student Health Services persuaded her that this was what she wanted to do for a career.

Mikaela Ringquist. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Mikaela Ringquist (CAS’12, GRS’16), assistant director, Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies & Civilizations, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies

Degree: MA, Global Development Policy

Once Ringquist started working at BU and found out about the Tuition Remission Program, she says, she realized “it was too good an opportunity to pass up.” It took her three years to complete a master’s degree.