Student Profile | Edward Ziembinski

Earning an MBA, even in a war zone

Six months ago Edward Ziembinski thought the chances of completing his coursework while serving his country halfway across the world were remote.

Shortly after being deployed to Afghanistan as an infantry captain in the U.S. Army, Ziembinski realized through technology and assistance from student services that he could continue pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in international business at Baker University. He has completed one course online and has two more classes to finish before graduating in May 2010.

“I suspended my enrollment when I deployed because I did not believe I would be able to complete classes online while I was here,” Ziembinski said. “However, I decided that I would go for it and it’s been working out so far. It has been challenging, especially in a war zone. It is possible to keep up if you don’t mind giving up on sleep.”

Ziembinski, who received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international business in 2002 from Baker while being an active member of Zeta Chi fraternity, completes his coursework through Baker and Army e-mail and the Moodle course management system.

In his first deployment to Afghanistan, Ziembinski is the current operations mentor to the regional headquarters for the Afghan National Police in Kandahar. The headquarters has the command and control responsibility for 15,000 Afghan National Police in six provinces that make up southern Afghanistan.

Dedicated to the military, Ziembinski has served seven years in the Army. His father, also a Baker alumnus, was in the U.S. Army for 30 years before retiring. Several of their relatives also have military backgrounds.

“I felt that it was my duty to protect my home, family and personally earn the freedom that we enjoy every day,” he said.

Ziembinski, originally from Kansas City, Mo., plans to return in late April to his home in Overland Park. If all goes well, he will receive his master’s degree the following month.

“The Baker program has been very accommodating to my current situation,” he said. “We barely have any access to e-mail in Afghanistan, but I have been able to keep up. The faculty and teachers have been very understanding of how hard it is to communicate back home.”

Student Profile | Niraj Kapur

Online course allows MBA student to travel and stay on track for graduation.

Awarded a six-week sabbatical that would take him to another country, graduate student Niraj Kapur was concerned how the time off might impact his pursuit of a Master of Business Administration degree at Baker University.

With the help of Student Services and Marvin Hunt, dean of the School of the Professional and Graduate Studies, Kapur will be able to travel to South America and stay on track to graduate in May 2010. An online course replaced an on-ground course, allowing Kapur and his wife, Julie, to continue their studies without interruptions.

"My wife and I were very fortunate that technology plays such a vital role in Baker's MBA curriculum," Kapur said. "We have worked it out with our team and the professor so that we can complete the course while we're away. We just need access to the Internet and our textbooks. By taking courses online, we are staying on the same structured path.

"They told me to enjoy my sabbatical and come back fully refreshed and ready to finish and they would get me ready to graduate the same time I intended. I could not have been more impressed and pleased."

As a specialist at Genentech, Kapur is confident managing development projects. He enjoys being a part of product and sales analysis teams.

Kapur appreciates the respect Baker has for the professional responsibilities of its students.

"I am grateful that Baker respects the working lifestyles for its students and honors the reward system that companies have built to keep their employees motivated," he said. "I really respected that they were willing to work with me."

The MBA program is known for its flexibility to accommodate students in the workforce.

"I chose Baker University because it's a smart, flexible MBA program," Kapur said. "It's available for adults who want to continue their education as long as they are working. It fits with my lifestyle. I am able to network with other students, and it's a great way to expand horizons and get into something new."

One of his classmates is his wife, Julie, who works in accounting at KVC Behavioral HealthCare.

Since starting the MBA program in July 2008, the Kapurs have enjoyed the camaraderie with their classmates, particularly the different skills they bring to the classroom.

"Everybody came to the program with a strong work ethic and a desire to learn," Kapur said. "We all feel like a team. We joke together, laugh together and talk about real-world business solutions."