Ashley Spence

Auburn University, Raymond J. Harbert College of Business Online MBA Program

“Corporate communications expert with experience in the transportation and logistics industries.”

Age: 31

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Fun fact about yourself: I gave campus tours to prospective students and their families while I was an undergrad at Auburn! I even work with one of the dads that was on the very last tour I ever gave before graduating.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Auburn University, BA in Public Relations, with minors in business and Spanish

Where are you currently working? Communications Manager at FedEx

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I oversaw the coordination of a charter flight during the 2017 hurricane season that was filled with adoptable cats and dogs from animal shelters in the Miami area to Oakland, California, so that pets who were displaced by the storms could be housed in the shelters and be reunited with their families. It made me feel so proud to work for a company that chose to use its resources for the greater good – I was honored to be part of the project and a passenger on the flight!

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? I looked at a lot of options for graduate programs, but I specifically wanted a program that offered a specialty in supply chain management and the opportunity to do an international immersion. Auburn’s program met those requirements for me and allowed me to be an Auburn student for the second time in life! I ultimately made the decision to do a dual MBA and MS in supply chain management, allowing myself to really delve deeper in the supply chain industry. Plus, my matching Auburn degrees are going to look so good hanging on my wall!

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? My favorite part of my experience was the international immersion that I was a part of in Montreal. It was the first time I got to meet any of my fellow graduate students in person, and I formed some really incredible friendships because of that week we spent together. We met with a number of businesses while we were there and got to learn from leaders across industries. At the end of the day, it was the relationships we built with each other that made the experience so valuable. Our group chat still goes off when Auburn has a big win or when one of our peers graduates!

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? I genuinely enjoyed both experiences – they’re completely different and challenging in their own ways. As an on-campus student, you’re surrounded by people who are in a class with you or who have possibly already taken the class. It’s easy to find people to talk to about the class with and to learn from along the way. In the online program, it’s really up to you as the student to develop and maintain your connections that you establish over the course of the curriculum. For me, the learning is learning but the biggest difference is in how you build your network.

How has your online education helped you in your current job? My current role requires me to support several business functions with strategic communications, and I believe my program has helped prepare me to anticipate challenges that we may need to communicate about prior to being asked about them. I feel more confident in my overall business acumen and that allows me to meet the needs of my own customers more effectively than I could have prior to enrollment.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? I was promoted into my first management role in the summer of 2021, just shortly after starting the online MBA program.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program? I knew I wanted to continue working while pursuing my degree – from a personal financial perspective and because I was very happy with my job. I did not want to risk giving up the role that I was in to do school full-time. And while I loved the idea of an executive MBA program, I found that the online program worked best for me at the phase of life I was in when I started the program. The flexibility of the program structure was a big benefit for me, and I’ve appreciated being able to adjust my schedule along the way.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? In several classes I’ve actually been asked to use AI as part of assignments to help generate ideas, or learn how to do specific tasks in programs. I’ve really grown to like it as a learning tool. For example, if I was having a hard time on an accounting problem, I could use AI to determine which financial statements I should be focusing on. It provides enough information to help get me on my way and can be used for those quick questions that in-person students might ask the professor while they’re in class.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: 10-15

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I have two – and they’re not mutually exclusive. I’d like to move into more senior leadership roles and I’d love to live outside of the U.S. to gain more international experience. I really believe that my graduate experience at Auburn has given me the knowledge and confidence to go after those roles and I’m excited to see where my career goes next!

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