Alisha Echols admits her undergraduate degrees in English and art history are not the most practical for the job market.
“They were both really fun degrees,” she said. “I got to read a lot of books. I got to look at a bunch of art. I got to write a bunch of papers, but they weren’t employable degrees.
“I’m fun to go to a museum or bookstore with, but that’s about it. I bounced around to different jobs. I wanted a career, but I never quite knew what I wanted to do.”
At the encouragement of her boss, Echols enrolled in Boise State University’s online Master of Business Administration + Cyber Emphasis program in January 2024.
“I went back to school for my MBA to give me more direction and foundation,” she said. “I am really interested in cyber operations. I love our current IT department and the way everything runs, like operations in the software area makes sense to me. I’m trying to be smarter this time around.”
Echols, who is vice president of operations at Verified First, in Boise, felt that the timing was also right for her to go back to school.
“I thought about getting a master’s a lot during my undergrad,” she said. “With an English and art history degree, a master’s is something they push. I was burned out at the time. I didn’t want to do more school, so I decided to not do it. It’s taken me a while to come back.”
The online format was a big selling point for Echols’ decision to choose Boise State. She is on track to graduate in May 2026.
“My current job, while great, is also demanding,” she said. “The online version gives me lots of flexibility. I can log in and do my homework whenever I have time. I can log in while in my pajamas, in bed. It gives me the flexibility I need in order to do my job and school justice. It’s working out well for me.”
Showing resilience
Echols lived in the Bryan/College Station, Texas, area before moving to Utah with her family. She graduated with her two undergraduate degrees from the University of Utah in 2007.
“The problem was I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she said. “I took classes that were interesting and fun. I taught English overseas, in Slovakia, for two years, which was a really good decision. It was a great experience.”
After working in different roles for the previous 12 years, Echols landed with her current company in March 2019 as an operations personnel manager. Since starting the program at Boise State, Design Thinking and Systems Thinking are her two favorite courses in the online MBA + Cyber Emphasis curriculum.
“I love all of the courses I have taken, but those two really stand out,” she said. “Design Thinking, which I started with, was so much fun. The Systems Thinking class that I’m in right now has been really cool.
“I’ve never taken a class before that talks about systems thinking and how it works. It makes the universe make more sense to me, which is cool. More than I thought I could, it’s been easier to adapt to the material than I was anticipating.”
The information that Echols is learning in the online MBA + Cyber Emphasis is relevant to her career, giving her immediate return on her investment.
“It’s one-hundred percent applicable,” she said. “In Design Thinking, we went through a lot of strategy, particularly with Michael Porter’s management theory.
“That’s something I talk with my boss about. We literally just got done with a weekly executive meeting in which we talk about company strategy. We didn’t have that before I took that class.”
Attack mode
During her time at Boise State, Echols has had plenty of support from her family and friends as she works toward becoming the second member of her immediate family to earn an advanced degree, joining her brother.
“They’ve been really supportive,” she said. “Every time I talk to them, they ask how things are going and about the classes I’m taking and what I’m learning. I would like to walk at graduation.”
Echols looks forward to learning more in the program and adding a solid business foundation to her real-world experience.
“I would love to be a chief operating officer or chief executive officer one day, depending on the differences in the roles, but I definitely like the operations behind a business,” she said. “Having this master’s degree will definitely open up opportunities for me.
“I graduated with my undergrad right in the middle of a recession. Having this degree feels like it will be a little more stable. It’s been so valuable. Even if I stopped taking classes today, I would still come away with good information and a lot more knowledge than I had before.”
Echols, who enjoys hiking and building Legos in her free time, offers some advice for potential students in the program:
“Get ready to read a lot,” she said. “Be open to group projects. I’m used to working at work, which is very different from school projects. Jump in and do it. It’s better than you probably think, and it’s more rewarding than you’re probably anticipating.”
Learn more about cyber at Boise State
Want to learn more about the online MBA + Cyber Emphasis? Join us for an online information session or contact a student success coach.