Ashford University announces Outstanding Alum of the Month

Ashford University recently named Stephen Atienza its Outstanding Alum of the Month.

Atienza, who is an active-duty Marine, is a frequent traveler who has a wife and children -- so, when choosing to go back to school to earn his bachelor’s degree, he didn’t have a lot of options.

“Traditional schools were not an option for me,” Atienza said. “I’ll be honest with you, a traditional school doesn’t impress me at all. I’ve attended several. I chose Ashford over more traditional schools because it catered to my lifestyle. It gave me the freedom to focus on my family, my work and my education, all at the same time. I didn’t have to answer to anyone else’s time or location. I was traveling for my job, and all I had to do was get online and start doing my homework in a hotel anytime, anywhere.”

Atienza enrolled in the organizational management program at Ashford because it went along with his career ambitions. The faculty and the level of education he experienced at the university immediately impressed him.

“Ashford caters to working adults, but it is demanding,” he said. “You have to work for your degree. The teachers and the curriculum were challenging.”