Amy Richards, a professional development and industry relations program manager for the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, is excited to celebrate the completion of her degree later this spring. She actually finished the program in December 2021, but plans to celebrate with other graduates this May because it will add a ceremonial splash to her accomplishment. However, her journey to this moment of celebration wasn’t always clear.
“I didn’t set out to pursue a graduate degree,” she says. “I knew I wanted to expand my capacity for taking on bigger projects with more strategic thinking, but my path to a master’s degree wasn’t a foregone conclusion.”
Her curiosity for understanding how organizations and teams function and collaborate effectively led her to explore classes and books that would expand her knowledge. She came across the MSOL in her search for resources and it fit her areas of interest. The program also provided the flexibility she needed to complete coursework around everything else in her life. Little did she know there would be another twist in her story that neither she nor anyone else could have predicted.
Learning in a time of change
It was 2020, the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and Richards had just started her work on the MSOL program. The experience of earning a masters during a time of national and global upheaval added dimension to the coursework.
“There were so many reckonings during the pandemic. It was a time when big, complex issues came to the surface including social justice and The Great Resignation,” she says. “These topics showed up in our course materials. We learned how organizations handle change management during shifts in societal and professional values. We also learned tools and frameworks to handle many of the challenges we are experiencing in the world right now.”
Despite the challenges and opportunities the pandemic presented, the adaptiveness of the MSOL program allowed Richards to follow her curiosity and tailor her education to fit her particular interests. She chose the “Leading Innovation” track so she could explore how to drive strategic organizational transformation and how to leverage innovative ideas and technologies to shape and support strategic and entrepreneurial initiatives.
She also valued learning alongside a diverse group of peers who were following their own interests through the program. Listening to her classmate’s divergent experiences enhanced her learning in the program.
Advice for others
Reflecting on her experience at the end of her journey, she encourages current and future MSOL students to follow their curiosity.
“The path unfolded because I was curious and wanted to learn more,” she says. “The program taught me there are so many universal concepts in the professional world. Everyone needs to know how to work well on a team and how to champion ideas. My advice is to follow what intrigues you. Even if you don’t know how it will help you in the future, if the content excites you, see where that curiosity takes you.”
Since earning her degree, Richards’ position has been restructured so she can take on larger, more strategic projects, which is exactly the direction she wants her career to go. She plans to continue pursuing leadership roles that give her the opportunity to have a positive impact on those around her and the world, and plans to take a moment to celebrate how far she has come.