To celebrate new MBA graduates, Peirce College is thrilled to highlight and share their journeys.

Today’s feature is Aliya Burroughs, two-time Peirce graduate receiving her Bachelor’s in Healthcare Administration in 2020 and her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with the Class of 2024.

Burroughs’s journey at Peirce began in 2017, after researching different colleges that were offered through her employer. She ultimately decided to enroll at Peirce due to the flexibility, online classes, and the importance and history Peirce has within her family.

“I remember attending my grandfather’s (one of my favorite people) funeral and during the reading of his obituary, I learned that he attended Peirce College so at that point it was a no-brainer,” she said. “It was almost like it was his way of telling me it was the right college fit for my needs.”

In January 2018, Burroughs enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2020. During her time as an undergraduate student, she was able to transfer credits from Lincoln Technical Institute where she received certification as a Medical Administrative Assistant. “I loved that I was able to transfer credits because it saved me time, money, and helped me reach my goal faster, “she said.

She chose to pursue a degree in Healthcare Administration to enhance her opportunities in her career and continue to make an impact in the lives of patients and families she works with.

“I always enjoyed working on the backend where there is no direct patient contact, but I know that in some shape or form, I have helped shape the patient experience, ” she said.

After completing her bachelor’s degree, she knew she wanted to expand her education. And in 2024, she completed her Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) with a 4.0 GPA which has helped broaden her career horizons and learn more from a business aspect.

Since graduating in 2020, she has launched a line of journals called As I Blossom for girls which focuses on maintaining and prioritizing mental health. Along with the journals, she creates party favors as a side hustle. She states, “I started creating party favors as a hobby in which I since turned into a business.”

Burroughs describes her overall experience at Peirce as positive and perfect for professional and personal growth. Along with Health and Business knowledge, Peirce has helped her enhance her public speaking skills, her ability to network with others, and gain connection with others.

She states, “Aside from all of it, I have made friendships with classmates that will last a lifetime.”

Although she was able to successfully complete her degrees at Peirce, she was met with obstacles that she had to overcome. She juggled the responsibility of working full-time, a part-time job and being a mother of two children while coping with the loss of several close family members including the murder of her grandfather.

She was able to persevere through those challenges by focusing on her end goal of setting a great example for her children and making herself proud.

“I became a teen mom at 18 years old, so I had to put many things on hold and never got the opportunity to experience college straight out of high school,” she said. “I always knew that I wanted to return to school, so I motivated myself to return to school as an adult.”

Currently, Burroughs works as a Program Coordinator II in the Neuro-Oncology and Neurofibromatosis Programs in the Division of Oncology at CHOP. She was promoted in 2022 to her current position but has been with the company since 2013. In the future, she plans to use her degrees to pursue a position as a Program, Business, or Practice Manager within CHOP and continue to climb the corporate ladder.

And for all of her fellow Peirce students and the working adults considering going back to school, Aliya has some advice: “If it is something that you really want to do, you will find a way to make it work,” she said. “There is never a right time so even if it feels like the time isn’t right, enroll and apply yourself. You can do it!”

Read more about Aliya Burroughs and other graduates like her at Peirce College.