Keiser University Flagship Campus Graduate Student of the Month Shenelle Figaro is now immersing herself as a MBA Health Services Administration learner while also employed full-time.

With her motivation to serve as a healthcare provider born at an early age, Figaro shared that as a child, she moved in with her grandmother and her husband when her mother became ill. “My mother passed away later that year and I had spent a lot of time taking care of her as a 9-year-old girl during her last days with us. I knew then that I was a caretaker and wanted to help people,” she reflected.

“Shenelle strives for perfection in her coursework week after week. The workload for the MBA program is very challenging, however, she never complains,” said Professor Joseph Clottey. “She always challenges herself at both of her jobs, at home with her children, and in class. She has maintained an ‘A’ average throughout the whole semester and that indeed makes me extremely proud and honored to be her professor,” he said.

While crediting her three children as her ‘biggest supporters,’ and her fiancé for his encouragement, Figaro’s said that her educational and professional journey is regularly fueled by an innate wish to help others while also building a strong foundation for her children. “I am bettering myself and securing my future for my family. They are why I work so hard. I want to give them more than I ever had growing up,” she said.  The first in her family to attend college, Figaro shared the immense value that funding from sources such as the Effective Access to Student Education grant provided as she steadily worked toward her Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) Associate of Science degree from Keiser University’s West Palm Beach Campus in 2011, and her Palm Beach State College Associate of Arts degree in General Studies in 2016 and Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree in Health Supervision Management in 2019.

When asked to share what she’d recommend to others who are focused on realizing their dreams, Figaro said, “Keep pushing and never give up. The blessings that God has for you will come to pass. Work hard, prioritize your time, never give up and finish strong.”

Keiser’s MBA Health Services Administration degree is a rigorous graduate program to better understand modern business theories and practices as applied to the health care services and delivery industry. Core coursework covers fundamentals of business, including accounting, finance, economics, marketing, information systems, and management as well as considerations for legal/ethical issues of national or international business. From there, students transition into courses specifically focused on healthcare management and leadership, covering issues involved in health policy, compliance, strategy, and more to prepare for advanced careers in healthcare administration.

Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Co-founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, Keiser University currently offers more than 100 degrees from associate to the doctoral level. Keiser University is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in providing Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Report in 2023.