As camping, climbing, winter and water department manager at Al’s Sporting Goods in Boise, Garrett Klein thrives on the problem-solving aspect of his job.
“From one day to the next, I might be asked a niche question on archery specifications or tennis rackets,” he said. “I love piecing together an answer that works. I like to think big picture, put the pieces together and get to the best solution.”
Klein takes that same approach to Boise State University’s online Bachelor of Business Administration in Management program. He is on track to graduate in December 2025.
“The big thing for me is teaching critical thinking, not necessarily just product knowledge,” he said. “I am teaching people that you need to help the customers and find out the answers, kind of going from a lean mentality.
“You have to know enough to get by, grow and learn. That’s a change that has come with me from this program.”
Klein enrolled at Boise State after gaining real-world experience. He has been a manager for over four years.
“Even with some experience, a lot of places still require a degree,” he said. “I thought that, having a background with the experience, that it might be worth it to get a degree to see what doors open up. I am passionate about the outdoors industry. I also love helping people when they are getting into something new.”
The flexibility of the online format is key for Klein, who often works more than 40 hours per week.
“Every class is different,” he said. “Some professors open up the whole seven weeks at one time, so you can plan through as much as you can. Others have you do one week at a time. It’s always been a good mix. It allows you to truly work at your own pace.
“The professors have been easy to work with. If I have a week when we are having a big sale at the store, and I have to work closer to 50 or 55 hours that week, I can reach out to them and ask if they can open up a week in advance so I can try to get more done.”
Changing course
Klein is from Boise, but he initially enrolled at the University of Utah to prepare for a career as a materials engineer. He attended for one year and one summer semester online before leaving school.
“I left school originally because I wanted to work full-time and get a career going,” he said. “I always heard about people who had degrees but couldn’t find a job, because there was a mass amount of people who had degrees but no experience. I wanted to go and try to get as much experience as I could.”
Once he returned to school in May 2021 at Boise State, Klein opted to focus on a business degree. He took one class per seven weeks early on in the program.
“I went into business because there is not an online materials engineer program,” he said. “I found that I really enjoy the whole business aspect of everything.
“It’s a fun world. Instead of being in a lab doing minute things all alone every day, I get to help facilitate interactions with other people, which is really fulfilling.”
So far, Entrepreneurial Marketing is Klein’s favorite course in the online Bachelor of Business Administration in Management curriculum.
“[The course] shows you how to run a business and understand the inner-working parts, like knowing your pricing, knowing your market and knowing how important marketing is,” he said. “It shows you the value of having the blend of the different aspects instead of going all into one, like how you need to have good product design alongside a good price point and how you need to market it well to be able to get higher sales.
“It shows a more holistic view of business and makes you understand you can’t do well with one specialty aspect. You have to look at the big picture with operations.”
Although Business Law was one of the tougher classes for Klein, he also thoroughly enjoyed learning about the legal aspect of business.
“It was really fun,” he said. “It was one of those classes where you had to fully deep-dive into what you were learning. I found that it was pretty comprehensible. The way the professor organized the class was by having a whole class-wide annotation of the chapter. As you are going through the chapter, you are seeing the notes other students left, which makes it easier to comprehend.
“I struggled through it and put a lot of time into it, but it was super fulfilling seeing the progress of it. In the first week, I was looking at a legal document and was told to analyze it. I was totally overwhelmed, until the last week of the class when I could understand the words and what part of Tort Law would affect a certain situation.”
Eyeing the finish line
Klein’s family and friends continue to encourage him as he comes into the home stretch of the bachelor’s degree program.
“A big part of going back to school is that my mom and grandma offered to help pay for some of my school originally,” he said. “They were pretty stoked about it. They want me to have a degree, so they have been very supportive throughout this. I plan to walk at graduation if I am in town and available.”
For now, Klein plans to continue earning a degree while he gains more experience that he hopes to eventually apply to owning his own business.
“I would love to start a ski company someday,” he said. “That’s probably going to be a part-time thing. I learned in the business program that you can start a business while you work full-time.
“It’s a lot of work, but you have constant financing for your business so you can focus on your passion. I’ve also been looking into construction or any kind of job that’s mentally engaging.”
Klein believes that having a bachelor’s degree will be beneficial to him as he continues to build his career.
“It has already opened doors,” he said. “I have gone to a construction career fair. I have met a few folks and have some interviews lined up. It really has opened up doors that I didn’t even know existed.
“A lot of companies are looking for employees with a degree and communicating directly with Boise State. There are companies that want to hire from that event. It puts you on a fast track to knowing where to look for a job.”
With a couple of months remaining in the bachelor’s degree program, Klein believes the key to earning a degree online is not procrastinating.
“If you have an assignment due on Sunday and you have a day off the Monday before, do that assignment on Monday. Don’t worry about when it’s actually due so you can’t procrastinate. Do it the second you have free time. If you are working and the class is fully up to you to stay self-motivated, you can’t do a project due the next day,” he said.
Spoken like a true problem-solver.
Learn more about the business administration program
Earning an online Bachelor of Business Administration in Management 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.