Marvol Barnard is nothing if not determined. She returned to college in her 50s—while maintaining her professional and personal responsibilities—and completed a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University. But she’s not done with her education; she is now in the Master of Organizational Leadership program.
“It’s not easy, as an older student, to get up the courage to return to school but my experience at NAU was so wonderful, so fulfilling, and truly life-changing,” Marvol said.
As an online student working from her home in Green Valley, Arizona, Marvol was able to work and keep leadership roles in the Professional Golf Association. In 2019, Marvol was elected National President of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Despite her busy schedule, Marvol maintained a 4.00 GPA and was also honored with the Distinguished Senior Award at her undergraduate commencement ceremony.
Marvol is thankful for the help she received from advisors and instructors guiding her as an online student. She said the instructors helped connect her to NAU by being responsive to questions. To feel further connected, she utilized library assistance and kept up with NAU happenings.
“I have learned so much, my mind has been so opened, and a love for learning has been enhanced like I could have never imagined,” Marvol said. “NAU helped me fulfill a dream, and no one can ever know what that means to me.”
Throughout her time at NAU, Marvol has had a positive experience with her academic mentors. Marvol said one of her advisors, Alison Mercado, was the cheerleader she needed to get her to the end of her undergraduate degree. Mercado explained her advising philosophy is to be a reliable resource for students as they progress through their degrees. Because of her positive experience with advisors and mentors, Marvol hopes to mentor others as she continues her education.
Marvol is pursuing a Master’s in Organizational Leadership and expects to use the knowledge she gains from the degree in her career. “I’m the National President of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and have found my classwork in Public Administration extremely helpful as I lead teams and sit on two non-profit boards in the golf world,” Marvol said. “I have more years left in my term and I’m looking forward to learning how to be a more effective leader in my organization.”
UP NEXT...
A trailblazer for her family
By achieving her goals, online student and single mom Tiffany Grigsby proves something to herself and sets a precedent.
We take on the fight against cancer
As the second leading cause of death worldwide, cancer remains one of the defining challenges of our time.
Ye Lynn Han's rise to international opera star
From Myanmar to opera star, international student Ye Lynn Han arrived to NAU sight unseen—and found his voice and an international opera singer.
NAU has some of the best professors that show a lot of commitment to the subjects they teach and the students they teach it to, making themselves available whenever we need any kind of help. NAU also gives us access to online libraries and platforms that make it so much easier and more convenient for international students like me to gather information on absolutely everything.Nevinka Rodrigo, Psychology