Ashley Hagemann had a December to remember in 2025.
Seven days after she graduated from Boise State University’s Online Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Leadership, Hagemann gave birth to her second child, Sierra Jensen.
“In order to make sure I graduated before she came along, (Boise State MBA Online Program Director) Ally Daniels and I came up with a plan,” Hagemann said.
“I took full-time MBA courses with full-time work so I wouldn’t have to go back to school after she was born. Ally helped me through the pregnancy and with navigating school.”
Hagemann and her husband, Jacob Jensen, also have a son, Conrad, 3. She works in data analytics for business intelligence and operations at St. Luke’s Health System and lives in Twin Falls, Idaho.
“I was in cancer research for about 15 years, but I went as far up the ladder as I possibly could,” she said. “I decided to go back to school to have a better chance at some director and higher management positions.”
Hagemann looked at other online MBA programs before deciding that Boise State was the perfect fit for her.
“I wanted to go to a well-known university for my MBA program,” she said. “I looked at a couple of schools, but Boise State had the best ranking of all of them. I also figured we might have slightly smaller class sizes. I ended up with a small cohort.”
The asynchronous nature of the online format was key for Hagemann as she had more than a full plate during her final year in the program.
“It worked out well for me — especially since I was pregnant my last year,” she said. “There was a lot going on. Working full-time was really hard. As I tried balancing my work-life commitments, the flexibility helped a lot.”
More than a career
Hagemann is from Seattle, where she got into cancer research at an early age after seeing a family member’s experience with healthcare. However, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western Washington University in 2011.
“My grandmother had cancer when I was in junior high and high school,” she said. “When standard-of-care treatment stopped working for her, she started participating in research studies for her particular kind of cancer.
“Unfortunately, she lost her life, but my first clinical research job was working for her oncologist. I ended up doing the full circle, back at the cancer institute where she went. It was pretty fantastic. I’ve been doing that ever since.”
Hagemann especially enjoyed the project in her capstone course. She analyzed Oracle as a business, which proved beneficial.
“It was a good culmination of everything we learned,” she said. “In my role with research, we use a lot of the Oracle-based systems, so I wanted to do a company that I was familiar with and potentially could go into as a career in the future.
“Using Oracle was a good way of networking. I could reach out to people in the Oracle company or use what I learned researching Oracle in a future interview.”
The information Hagemann learned in the Online MBA program continues to pay dividends in her role as a data analyst.
“It’s nice being able to apply what you learned, and vice versa,” she said. “I was able to use things I used in my day-to-day for discussions, which you have for every single course.
“It worked out really well. It is all data, so I’m still doing something similar. You make an educated decision based on the data.”
Brain power
Hagemann comes from a family of learners that places a strong emphasis on education, so she did not lack encouragement in her return to higher education.
“They were very excited,” she said. “My mom went back and did her undergraduate degree and got two master’s degrees while I was growing up. My husband has a doctorate. We like to learn.”
Because she could not participate in commencement with her due date so close, Hagemann plans to walk in the May 2026 ceremony. She believes earning an online master’s degree is a great option for anyone.
“Just do it,” she said. “Don’t think about it. Two years will happen, whether you’re in school or not. Boise State has such a good, easy-to-follow program with a great structure. I feel really prepared for my future.”
Hagemann has her sights set on eventually running her own oncology program and continuing to honor her grandmother’s legacy by helping others.
“In order to do that, not only do you use the data analytics to understand the research being conducted, but you have to understand how to run that healthcare program with hiring, marketing and making sure that all of the finances are in order,” she said.
“Every single thing you learn in the Online MBA program — especially with the healthcare emphasis — you can tie back to how to run a successful oncology research 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.