Alumni Profile: Alyssa Masterson '14

Name: Alyssa Masterson

Alyssa Masterson ’14 wanted to take her career to the next level. That meant completing her undergraduate degree while keeping her full-time job. Could she do both?

Yes, as it turns out. From her home in New Jersey, Alyssa applied to Isenberg’s online undergraduate degree completion program. She had already taken classes at a local state college, and then she spent another year-and-a-half completing her degree with Isenberg. In August 2014, she graduated with her BBA in marketing.

“I needed a school that could be flexible with my schedule and that’s how I learned about the great program Isenberg has online,” she said. “I decided to go year round to finish the program as quickly as possible.”

Alyssa took summer and winter courses along with the traditional fall and spring semesters and worked closely with her advisors and professors to fit her coursework into her already full life. Her favorite course: marketing research.

“It was innovative,” she said. “The professor started the class with a survey and asked how we wanted the semester to go. He centered the class on what was best for us.”

Before applying to Isenberg, Alyssa was already working in her current role as the member relations and marketing manager at the Ramsey Golf and Country Club in Bergen County, NJ. She started with the club in 2011, working her way up from her post as a hostess in the club’s restaurant.

Although she was soaring in her managerial role, Alyssa knew that earning her degree would increase her effectiveness. “I just realized that I wanted to go back to school to be successful and to be taken seriously,” she said.

On a day-to-day basis, Alyssa meets with prospective members, coordinates club communications and social media, and oversees marketing and PR efforts. She says she wouldn’t have been able to up her game without Isenberg.

“Isenberg helped take me to another level,” she said. “I don’t know if I would be as successful if I didn’t finish my degree at Isenberg.”

And while she was working and taking classes, she’s also been improving her golf game. “I knew nothing about golf before I started [at the club],” she said. “I’m really learning the game.”

And she’s also really learning the hospitality and tourism industry. Next on her agenda: exploring event and wedding planning.