United States Marine Corps veteran Casey Jenkins and higher education did not start off on the right foot. Twice.
“I was a reserve when I came home from my military service in 2001,” he said. “I went to Prairie View A&M and flunked out. Then, I went to the University of North Texas and flunked out because I was lazy and partied too much.”
Faced with the possibility of a layoff, Jenkins returned to college in 2019. After earning associate and bachelor’s degrees, he graduated from Boise State University’s Online Master of Business Administration in Management with a 3.8 GPA.
“It was right around COVID-19 when my company was talking about laying people off,” he said. “I looked at my resume and thought, ‘Man, I have nothing to fall back on — no education, nothing.’ I had barely been at my job for five years at that point. I wanted so much more.”
Jenkins is manager of Flexjet’s St. Louis and Fort Worth stores. He has worked for the company for more than 12 years, advancing up the ladder on a regular basis.
“From the minute I looked at Boise State, it was the right fit,” he said. “The people were awesome. Boise State sells you on the curriculum and schools, and don’t worry about the money. I wanted to know what the ROI would be for the degree. That’s where Boise State excels — they give you the ROI first.
“Everybody was so nice and returned phone calls. They said, ‘If you have a full-time job and are a veteran, we have so many programs to help with the funding.’ The minute I stepped into the MBA program, everybody made me feel at home. It was like a family. Throughout the whole degree, I felt more like a person, not just a number or a statistic.”
No more horsing around
Born in Chicago, Jenkins grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and played football at Trinity High School in Euless, near his current hometown of Hurst. His journey to righting the higher education ship began at Tarrant County College.
“I had 20-something college credit hours, so I needed 35 hours to get an associate degree,” he said. “After that, I went to the University of Texas at Arlington, which denied me twice. I was going to give up on college totally, but I knew one of the UTA appeal board members. I got in and never looked back.”
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2022, Jenkins took a short break before enrolling at Boise State, which coincidentally shares a horse-themed logo with UTA. The transition was seamless.
“Every time I had a problem the professors were willing to meet and go out of their way to help,” he said. “They all worked with me. The curriculum was great. The campus is in a beautiful spot. The university made me feel like home and put themselves in front of the money.
“I was blown away by the culture where they open up their arms, embrace you and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to make you a Bronco.’ They sold me on them. I don’t know why anybody would not take advantage — especially veterans.”
Although he enjoyed all of the courses in the Online MBA in Management curriculum, Leadership and Communication was Jenkins’ favorite.
“I had a great professor who was very critical but prepared me for the real world,” he said. “He was really great about it. I still use the things he taught me. Every professor was so amazing and helpful.”
The flexibility of the online format was important for Jenkins, who worked full-time during the entirety of his return to college.
“I took everything week by week and structured it,” he said. “Most of the classes give you your work for the week on Sunday. Then, by Monday or Tuesday you have everything and meet with your groups Thursday or Friday, so you have all week to get your assignments done.
“If you are a mom or a dad or a single parent or married with no kids, it is easy as long as you allot a little bit of time. They give you a great window to get your work done. I had the luxury of being an hour ahead with deadlines, too. There were students from all over the world in this program.”
Marshalling a brighter future
Jenkins not only walked at Boise State’s commencement in December 2024, he served as a business school student marshal.
“I was proud to do it,” he said. “The best part of Boise State is the curriculum, people and culture. I was really impressed. I focused on Boise State, did a lot of research and watched all of the student profile videos before enrolling. I watched a couple of graduations.”
An avid Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys fan, Jenkins hopes to someday make the transition to educator. He believes having an MBA will help create that opportunity for him.
“I hope to teach in a place that I love, like Boise or Austin, someday,” he said. “Most of my professors had user aides. I can do an online format and teach. My passions are aviation, business and people.”
Now a full-fledged and proud Bronco, Jenkins believes it’s important to take full advantage of everything the Online MBA has to offer students.
“Take it week-by-week, and don’t think too far ahead,” he said. “Have an open mind. Network and get to know people. I was going to take the GMAT, but Boise State builds the three modules into the first course.
“When I had questions, I had another person in one of my other classes who helped me out because she was an accountant. You never know what people know. And vice versa. I helped that same person with economics.”
Jenkins is proud of his commitment to return to higher education and finish what he started more than 20 years ago.
“You have to stay positive and motor through,” he said. “I did my degree in 15 months. It’s doable and affordable. With the price point, it takes a lot of pressure off you. It’s an expensive degree only by the culture Boise State gives you — not by the price. Your ROI is where the value comes from.”
Learn more about the Online MBA
Earning an Online Master of Business Administration from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online degree is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.
Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.