Welcome to the ACE Alumni Spotlight, where we highlight alumni members and share what they are up to.
Nikki Wilson has found her calling. She’s transitioned her experience as a teacher into the ed tech industry and now supports schools and students from a new perspective. Read on to see how our M.Ed. in Educational Business Administration program strengthened Nikki’s work in her ed tech career.
ACE: What’s your current job? Tell us a little about what you do.
Nikki Wilson (NW): I’m the assistant director of success operations at a youth program management software company. I manage the team that supports our partner success managers and their partners. Our partner success managers help clients with a variety of needs, such as technical support, rostering scholars and assisting with curriculum orders and needs. In my role, I collaborate a lot with other teams, especially as we continue to grow and expand our product and overall organization.
ACE: When and how did you know you wanted to have this career?
NW: I transitioned out of teaching about nine years ago and obtained several roles at the district level before shifting to a sales/customer success role at my previous organization. I knew that I did not desire to be a principal or school leader. Once I shifted into the ed tech space, I learned what I wanted to be when I “grew up.” Working with programs, schools and districts to support their students’ needs through ed tech tools is right where I belonged. The more I worked with district-level leaders, the more I wanted to learn about the business operations of education. I was so thankful to find ACE’s Master of Educational Business Administration – it was right up my alley! Once I completed my degree, I knew the next step was to take my prior knowledge and strengths and combine it with this newfound knowledge to support and lead other ed tech professionals.
ACE: How did you hear about ACE?
NW: When I taught high school years ago, I remember ACE being present in our district. Many of my colleagues had their higher ed degrees from ACE. At the time, I did not have a desire to get my master’s degree, so I always kept it in my back pocket for the right time!
ACE: How were you able to complete an online degree successfully? What tips would you share?
NW: I am a stickler for time management. I have four young children, a full-time job and many other life activities that require my calendar to be clear and organized. I organized my week to where I spent two weekday evenings and one weekend afternoon/evening to complete my coursework. Once I got into a rhythm, I found that I worked more efficiently when I blocked my evenings at particular times. I would also set an alarm to remind me to walk away, even if I wasn’t finished. I knew the work would be there the next time I sat down.
ACE: How has your ACE degree helped you in your career?
NW: The biggest impact that my degree has had on me is the knowledge I gleaned from each course. I was able to understand and relate so much better to the district-level personnel that I was working with on a day-to-day basis.
ACE: Which professor had a strong, positive affect on your ACE education?
NW: Dr. Bretti by far had the best impact on my education. You could feel his passion through his discussion posts and communication. His feedback was always helpful and encouraging, and I learned so much from him.
ACE: Personally or professionally, what are you loving right now?
NW: I am new to my professional role as of August 2022, and I am loving the impact that we are making to programs and scholars all over the country. My team is amazing and I love the planned growth in our near future. Personally, I am loving this post-pandemic season of life as I’ve missed travel. I’ve already taken several trips this year and have Egypt planned for this month!
Being an ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵ alumni has its perks. When you return as an alumni for another program, you can save 5% off your tuition with the Alumni Continuing Education Grant.
