Athabasca University Convocation | #AthaU21
Convocation Countdown: Day 18—Samantha Moir
To celebrate the #AthaU21 Convocation, we are profiling some of our amazing graduates. Athabasca University (AU) is so proud of everything they have accomplished and we are excited to celebrate each and every one of them at this year’s virtual convocation!
We caught up with one of our Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates, Samantha Moir, to find out more about her story and AU journey.
Having completed her Master of Nursing degree with AU in 2011, Moir was familiar with the online-learning environment. However, she did diligently research other MBA programs in Canada and the USA to ensure she was choosing the right institution for her. She ultimately chose AU’s MBA program for its flexibility, which allows learners to balance their careers while raising a family and pursuing their academic goals.
“I was able to vacation with my family, without school being a barrier, because I could bring my laptop with me and continue to balance my studies, while making memories and spending time with my husband and our four children,” she said. “If work demands increased on certain days, I would prioritize my work obligations and spend a greater part of the weekend focusing on my studies.”
Shared goals
Having worked in healthcare for the past 25 years, Moir wanted to learn more about the aspects of operating a business in her field. But she wasn’t the only one in her household wanting to pursue an MBA—her husband also shared the same goal. In the beginning they were hesitant about returning to school at the same time as both had demanding jobs and were raising four children, with their youngest aged two and four. Her husband’s new role also had the additional challenge of frequent travel.
In order to tackle everything, she and her husband worked as a team to conquer their responsibilities at home. They communicated frequently about their work, school, and family commitments to ensure they would be successful in all areas.
Although they began their MBA journey at the same time, her husband was accepted into the MBA for Accountants program and completed his MBA one year earlier. This allowed Moir to focus on school and double up on the amount of courses she was able to take at the same time, leading to her completion of the program six months earlier than intended.
A golden opportunity
After all her determination, tenacious drive, and hard work—achieving a 3.92 GPA in her final year—Moir was invited to apply for the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal. Although she was not a successful recipient, she said she was incredibly honoured to be invited to apply.
She is grateful to Dr. Gail Johnson Morris, noting that she is an exceptional leader and coach, genuinely caring about her profession and her learners, and to Alan Franklin, who provided superb guidance and shared many lived experiences in the areas of international business and risk management.
Moir’s MBA journey provided her with a greater understanding of business concepts, as well as finance and accounting. In the next chapter of her studies, she is proud to announce that on February 23, 2021, she was accepted into the doctorate of nursing practice program at the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, Minn., which began May 24, 2021.
