It's important to HEC that we provide the right environment and services for our students. That's why we've taken the time to get to know the types of people who benefit from an education at HEC and learn about their motivations, frustrations, and goals.
Based on our research, we've developed "personas," or mini-descriptions of the types of people who are likely to visit our Website to find out more about HEC. We know that high-school graduates, their parents, adults who want to complete their degrees, and business people who need professional development are likely to visit our HEC Website. Hopefully, you'll recognize yourself in one of these personas!
Traditional Student | Parents
of Traditional Student | Adult Working
Student |
Business Person
Amy is an 18-year old girl from Medford, although many of the students she'll meet at HEC live in the smaller communities around Medford. They often commute anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour a day to get to school. If Amy decides to go to HEC, she'll be lucky enough to walk to school from her parent's home.
Amy's parents are paying for her schooling, but she hopes it won't cost too much. Her dad got laid off last year and he just found a new job in Ashland at a large grocery store. Her mom does part-time accounting work from home.
Amy had difficulty with math all through high school. She doesn't know why - after all, her mom's an accountant and loves numbers. The truth is, Amy's not sure what she's good at or what type of career is right for her. She sure hopes someone at HEC can help her figure things out!
Joan and Bill are both middle-income parents. Joan got a degree in accounting, but Bill never went to college. Bill recently got laid off from a timber company and realized how hard it was to find another job without a degree. He feels lucky to have found the position at the grocery store, but doesn't want Amy to have the same problem.
Both Joan and Bill want Amy to get a college education and make a good living. However, they're worried about her poor math skills, and know she has problems making friends. They hope that HEC will provide a nurturing environment so Amy can learn more about herself, get comfortable with others, and figure out what she wants to do with her life.
Joan and Bill also want to be able to fund Amy's education without bankrupting themselves. Bill's layoff really put a financial strain on them, and they realize it could always happen again. In fact, Bill's even considering going to HEC for some professional development courses so he can move into management at the grocery store and better secure his future!
Maria is a single-mom with a 6-year old daughter, Amber. She works for the school district as a secretary, and is happy that her work day ends the same time Amber gets out of school. She sometimes volunteers for after-school activities at Amber's elementary school.
Six years ago, she had just finished her junior year as a psychology major, when she learned she was pregnant with Amber and dropped out. Unfortunately, she and her husband divorced soon after Amber's birth, and Maria was lucky enough to find a job with the school district.
She loves psychology and misses the stimulation of learning and solving problems. It really bothers her that she was only one year away from a degree. She knows if she finished the degree she could do more with her life. The school system's even looking for a school psychologist … but they want a degree.Maria is worried about juggling work, childcare, and school. Her mother offered to take care of Amber if Maria starts night classes, so Maria hopes HEC might be the answer.
John works as a software engineer, something he's been doing for 15 years. He makes good money, but he feels he's burning out. He thinks he'd make a great project manager, but no one takes him seriously, not without a business degree.
His work life is pretty overwhelming. He goes to work early and leaves early to meet unrealistic deadlines. In fact, he often fantasizes about what he'd do if he were a manager - either change the management style of the company completely or go to work for someone else! His wife, Monica, totally supports his desire to get an M.B.A. She knows he'd be a lot happier managing projects, rather than writing software.
John can't afford to spend a lot of time getting the M.B.A., especially with his hectic work schedule. But he's willing to do it if it doesn't take too long. He knows that getting an M.B.A. would increase his income and increase the time he could spend with his wife. Plus, he'd make a real difference in the software world by implementing some of the processes he's developed over the years. All he needs is that M.B.A. That's why he's looking at HEC.