将他的教育应用到他的事业中

For Nick Peitz ’08, ’22 MSL—a parent with a full-time career with the Iowa Department of Corrections—皇冠体育’s 战略领导硕士 program presented a realistic opportunity to learn practical leadership he can apply in his career.

Nick began his career as a Correctional Officer at the Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 心理学 from Mount Mercy. 他继续在组织中晋升，现在他已经担任了近三年的治疗副主任。

“The facilitators have all done such a good job creating a learning environment in an online platform.”
–Nick Peitz '08, '22 MSL

Nick was always interested in pursuing a master’s degree. 当他发现Mount Mercy提供在线课程时，他突然觉得这是可以实现的。

“I really enjoyed my time at Mount Mercy during my undergrad,” Nick shared, “so I was interested in learning more.”

找到一个在线课程对尼克来说很重要，但他也想继续与参加这个课程的人保持联系。 他觉得他的教授们能够给虚拟媒体带来很多价值。

“The facilitators have all done such a good job creating a learning environment in an online platform,” he shared. “It’s amazing to me how much I’ve been able to gain from my peers without being in the same room as them.”

“Another aspect of the program that stands out to me is the balance between being challenging, yet not overwhelming for a busy, working parent,” Nick said. 尼克和他的妻子劳拉有三个儿子，分别是8岁、10岁和13岁。 这使得在生活和学习之间取得平衡变得尤为重要。

“It was important to me that I’d be able to put forth my best efforts in school without sacrificing quality time with my family,” Nick said. “我相信MSL项目已经达到了我的每一个期望，还有一些期望。”

While many pursue advanced degrees to progress their career, Nick’s goal was to contribute to the success of the IDOC, whose mission is “Creating Opportunities for Safer Communities.” 尼克觉得仁慈山可以帮助他更有效地完成这一使命。

在IDOC认识到他周围有许多强有力的领导者，尼克受到启发，要培养自己的领导技能。 这一点，再加上灵活的课程形式，坚定了他加入这个项目的决定。

“It is my hope that I can grow to contribute to the next generation of leaders who take the Iowa DOC into the future,” Nick said. “I truly believe participation in the MSL program is a big contributor to that growth.”

“Through the MSL program, I believe that I have learned skills to help me be the best leader that I can be for the staff at my institution,” Nick said.

Among many accomplishments in his career and time as a student, Nick was selected as the 2022 Commencement 研究生演讲人. He shared about his experience working at the IDOC and the impact that everyone can have on others’ lives.

“Working in a prison has taught me a lot about people,” Nick shared during his speech. “Not only how to work with difficult people, but also, and probably most importantly, how having a caring heart can have a profound impact on those around you."

尼克发现，在Mount Mercy的这段时间里，他对自己有了更多的了解，包括自己的价值观、优势和成长空间。

“I can say with a high degree of confidence that I have gained valuable experience through my participation in the MSL program,” Nick said. 他希望利用这种增长来造福他的组织。 “I’m proud to say that I know I have grown as a leader, and subsequently hope to help advance the efforts of the Iowa Department of Corrections.”