Jessica Greenberg did not have a typical graduation day experience when receiving her Online Master of Business Administration on May 10, 2025.
“I was in labor,” she said. “I was having contractions every 15 minutes. I had had Braxton Hicks (contractions) since the 27th week; I was in the 41st week. The day I gave birth was 42 weeks on the dot.
“I was sitting at commencement, and more people showed up than they thought. I wasn’t sure I should be doing it, but I did it. My mom, my husband, Len, my brother and my husband’s brother all showed up.”
Two days later, her daughter, Ellie, showed up, too. Greenberg is taking a career break to focus on being a mother. She most recently worked for CATCH Idaho as a facilities manager and for tech start-up Code Raisin as a vice president of operations.
“My career spanned over several different industries,” she said. “After graduating from high school, I started my first business. It was always in my heart to serve, so I decided to go into the Air Force shortly after that.
“While in the military, I started another business in general consulting. I’ve always worked at a higher strategic level. I’ve been fortunate to be part of several start-ups while working full-time for others in decent positions.
“I have been able to help small businesses grow, so pursuing my MBA was about the credentials as much as the confidence to make a larger impact on a larger scale.”
Greenberg chose the Cyber+ emphasis of Boise State’s Online MBA program to tailor the degree to her interests.
“Boise State’s reputation precedes itself,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate to work with people who have graduated from some of the executive MBA programs. I was impressed with their skillset. I thought, ‘This is the reason you go to college.’ I decided to jump in. I saw what I was missing, and I wanted more.”
Into the wild blue yonder
Greenberg grew up in Monticello, Minnesota, joined the Air Force in late 2012, and served for almost five years in Charleston, South Carolina. She earned an associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force while enlisted.
“I went into the Air Force open general,” she said. “I went in not knowing much about what overall service was about. I just knew that I wanted to do it. I had family that served.
“I liked the resilience, the mindset and everything that comes with it. It not only develops you as a person, but there’s also what you can contribute back that really drives me.”
Greenberg returned to higher education and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in software development from Western Governors University in 2023. She then took one year off of school to utilize her degree as a software tester with Lionbridge. She started the Online MBA in January 2024.
“After I started the MBA program, I got pregnant,” she said. “Within the first couple of months, I caught mono. Shortly after that, pneumonia. Life is never going to be perfect — we all know that. I needed that flexibility.
“It was the most convenient way to go back and get what I needed. I treated every class like a boot camp. I was taking advantage of all of the materials, inside and outside of the class.”
Marketing, taught by Dan Heinig, was Greenberg’s favorite course in the Online MBA curriculum.
“That was the second class I took,” she said. “It went more in-depth. There was more to marketing than I thought – a lot more than your baseline marketing class. I also enjoyed the instructor. He was very knowledgeable.”
The information Greenberg gained as a student in the program was immediately applicable to her career.
“My manager at CATCH said that I was able to bring back the direct information I was learning at Boise State to my workplace and improve the organization holistically,” she said. “We’re still in contact now from time-to-time.
“She tells me, ‘You helped with our vision and drive in every area of our organization you were able to contribute to.’ It was awesome because it was a direct way to serve the community.”
Cleared for takeoff
Greenberg said she is the first person in her family to pursue higher education and the first person in her immediate family to earn a master’s degree.
“My mom and dad are exceptionally proud; they tell me all of the time,” she said. “My husband was especially supportive. There were times in the program when I was doubling up on classes and really mission-focused.
“With the pregnancy, I started tapering down. I dropped one job and went down to just CATCH part-time. My husband was very supportive.’”
Greenberg is excited to be a new mom. She also looks forward to reentering the workforce with an MBA on her resume.
“Right now, Boise is a hot iron,” she said. “There are so many services missing from the city and the Treasure Valley area. There are so many people moving here, so there are a lot of things in high demand right now.
“I am considering several entrepreneurial endeavors for the area. It hits you in the face after a while, like, ‘Why don’t we have this? Because nobody has set it up yet.’ My mind sees it. I’m kind of champing at the bit. There are several considerations.
“I don’t want to go back too early and not be able to fully connect. There are several background things going on, but right now it’s all about Ellie.”
Greenberg is secure in her decision to earn an advanced degree from Boise State and grateful for her time learning from the faculty.
“There’s so much to it,” she said. “With the MBA, you were able to focus more on the classes and be into them, further above a bachelor’s level. The expertise of the people teaching it and their background provided a lot of value. It was a ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ kind of thing.”
With the benefit of hindsight, Greenberg has some solid advice for potential Online MBA students to consider:
“A lot of people have this pre-conceived notion about online programs, being able to slack off or whatever,” she said. “Those people washed out pretty quick. Don’t go into it half-hearted.
“Treat every class like you want to become a subject matter expert in it, and give yourself over to it. See how far you can push in the time allotted. Ask the questions. Meet with the professors. There is so much value to be had from this program.”
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.