MaiKayla Pierson – Perrysburg, OH

An Emerging Leader Deepens Her Skills

Balancing a burgeoning career with college classes can be difficult. In fact, only 41% of full-time college students finish a degree in four years. But millions of others find themselves in and out of school, as student debt continues to grow.

To help students better balance the expectations of work and college courses, Walmart introduced Live Better U to put associates through college for a dollar a day. It’s now offering a Leadership Certificate Program through Bellevue University, teaching associates greater management skills to lead and support their teams.

MaiKayla Pierson is a Live Better U student who made the choice to join the leadership program when she set her sights on becoming an assistant store manager. After nine years with Walmart, MaiKayla felt ready to take the next step in her career.

"College is costly, and I didn’t want to choose my career over making ends meet to be able to finish my schooling," she said. "I made the decision to go back to school when Walmart offered the $1 a day program."

Two weeks into the program, MaiKayla had the chance to interview for an assistant manager role. She got the job, and she believes it’s her schooling that made her the best candidate.

"A lot of the stuff I’m learning, I already use at work," MaiKayla said. "I can take work and relate it to my classes, and then take my classes and relate them to work. My teachers have said, ‘It’s amazing how much insight you have on this.’ It’s because I use what I’m learning every single day."