Maryville StoryCast

Stan Skelton is a 2022 online graduate from San Jose, CA. He graduated Maryville with his degree in business administration at the age of 83. His 60+ year college journey is one for the ages! And his May 2022 visit to campus and commencement was so impactful, we still receive feedback from new online students that he inspired them to go back to school and finish their degrees. Stan, you are amazing, a true Maryville Saint.

Mike Bernier is a 2022 graduate of Maryville's online data science program. Mike was a nontraditional student, finishing his undergraduate degree over 40 years after starting it. In this episode, Mike reveals the everyday reasons he left college and his poignant motivation for returning to school. We are so happy Mike chose Maryville, and we thank him for sharing his heartwarming story.

Reed Huskey is a Spring 2023 graduate of Maryville's cyber security program. He landed a job with a Fortune 100 company well before graduation, and the story of how he pulled that off is a great lesson on what getting involved can mean for students at Maryville.

How did Joanna Serenko, a rising senior in our nursing program, land a coveted spot on the TV show The Voice? And did Nick Jonas, John Legend, and Blake Shelton really fight over her? Have a listen to this soulful episode of the Maryville StoryCast for all the details. NOTE: Stay till the end for a song from Joanna's latest album, "Best of Me," which you can find on Spotify or Apple Music.

Hawo Ismail is a rising sophomore in our nursing program. One of her first-year classes involved an assignment called “out-of-box experience” designed to get her to try something she's never tried before. Perhaps something that would push her out of her comfort zone.

What she did next shocked everyone, including her!

Ty'John Barnes is a Maryville University Cyber Security student who dreamed of attending college but wasn't sure he was going to get the opportunity. Family finances were always an issue, and he didn't want to stress out his mother. Fortunately he had her and other people supporting and encouraging him, and he secured the necessary scholarships and found his way to Maryville. He is the very best of our university.

Access and opportunity are at the heart of our mission, as we strongly believe everyone deserves the chance at a great education. Ty'John, thank you for bravely sharing your story with our Saints community.

Maryville's undergraduate Communication program has a pivotal end-of-year final assignment - the Senior Portfolio Defense. Our graduating students share with visiting patrons the best work they've done over their four years at Maryville, and while there are some nerve-wracking moments for them, the exercise is an important rite of passage with lessons learned. In this episode of the Maryville StoryCast, Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon visited with us during the program's most recent Senior Portfolio Defense and shares details on the significance of the event.