As graduation season concludes, Raigan Stump (HCB, ’25), a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business’ online bachelor’s degree program, reflects on how flexibility, discipline and careful prioritization allowed her to balance careers in modeling and real estate while completing her degree.

A Knoxville native, Stump graduated high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, which reshaped her approach to education. When courses started to be offered online, she quickly recognized that the format offered more than just convenience, it offered opportunity. “I realized the flexibility was what made everything work,” she said.

Creating the Right Path

Stump’s academic journey did not follow a straight line to begin, as she initially pursued nursing and earned an associate degree at Pellissippi State. But as her professional interests expanded and opportunities grew in the modeling and real estate worlds, she recognized that business education offered a better foundation for her interests and long-term growth.

She then transferred to Haslam and enrolled as an online student, a decision that allowed her to continue working while progressing toward her bachelor’s degree.

Education Structured Around Real Life

Haslam’s online format gave Stump the freedom to travel for modeling work and manage real estate clients without stepping away from her coursework. That flexibility, she said, required discipline and structure.

Stump describes herself as “schedule heavy,” structured by detailed planning to manage competing priorities. Without that structure, she said, it would be easy to lose momentum. Instead, careful scheduling allowed her to stay focused and accountable, which are skills that translated directly into her professional life.

Business in Practice

While completing her degree, Stump balanced her business engagements by prioritizing opportunities based on timing, income and long-term value. When conflicts arose, she adapted to the situation, delegating real estate responsibilities when travel demanded her attention or shifting focus when client needs increased.

The constant decision-making and priority-analyzing, she said, mirrored the strategic thinking emphasized in her business courses. Modeling, in particular, reinforced the idea that she was operating as her own business, responsible for managing time, finances and personal branding.

Beyond the Coursework

Stump found immediate value in Haslam coursework that taught practical skills that translate to real life experience. Classes in information technology, marketing and strategy helped her better manage budgeting, scheduling and professional planning. Learning to use tools like Excel for financial tracking and organization proved especially useful while traveling for work.

She also found faculty to be engaged and accessible, despite the online format. Regular communication, clear expectations and mentorship helped her stay connected to the Haslam community and confident in her academic progress.

“The professors were really engaged,” she said. “Even online, it was easy to connect and ask questions.”

Acting Towards the Future

Now a graduate, Stump is focused on building a career in artificial intelligence, drawn to the field’s rapid growth and real-world applications. She is pursuing roles in project management and marketing while continuing to expand her knowledge of AI and its impact across industries.

Jennifer Davis, Haslam’s assistant director of undergraduate programs, credits Stump’s ability to balance work and academics, showing the strengths of Haslam’s online students.

“It was an absolute pleasure to have Raigan in the program and I’m so proud of how far she has come,” Davis said. “She gracefully balanced her full-time work and completing her bachelor’s degree, which is a huge accomplishment.”

For Stump, graduation represents more than the completion of a degree. It marks the years spent learning how to balance ambition with responsibility — and a spectacular example that flexibility, when paired with discipline, can create opportunity.

“As long as I stay disciplined, I can make it work,” she said.

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Author:

Parker Holt, student editor

Contact:

Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu