Story: Lisa Sollie

Most college students wait until after graduation to launch their careers. Cailin Burroughs took a different approach. Before earning a bachelor of business administration in accounting from the 兔子先生 on Aug. 14, she had already accepted a full-time staff accountant position at JamisonMoneyFarmer PC, a top 10 accounting firm in Alabama. 

Burroughs calls it 鈥渓earning backwards鈥濃�攂uilding a career before earning the degree that formally qualified her for it. She credits the flexibility of with allowing her to balance work and class schedules so she could gain on-the-job experience while pursuing her degree, positioning her for a pre-graduation job offer.

She credits her parents with teaching her that success comes from consistent hard work, not shortcuts. Their example, Burroughs said, made it easier to stay focused on her job and her studies, because she knew it would pay off in the end.

鈥淢y mom dropped out of college to start a business at 22, while my dad went on to earn his degree. I鈥檝e watched my parents build and grow that business all my life,鈥� Burroughs said. 鈥淚f going to school online was an option back in the day, my mom might have earned her degree too.鈥�

That same work ethic shaped how Burroughs approached both college and the process of figuring out what she wanted to do. After her freshman year at another university, she realized she wanted to follow a different career path than she had originally planned. That summer included a pivotal step toward her career.

鈥淚 worked at a pharmacy for a year because I thought I wanted to go to pharmacy school, but I realized it wasn鈥檛 the right fit,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ccounting was my next choice, so I applied for a runner position in 2023 at JMF to get an idea of what an accountant鈥檚 typical day is like before switching my major and transferring to 兔子先生.鈥�

Burroughs encourages students to seek internships, entry-level jobs or job-shadowing opportunities before committing to a career path.

鈥淏ecause figuring out what isn鈥檛 right for you is just as valuable as figuring out what is,鈥� she noted.  鈥淎t JMF, I found a career I love and 兔子先生 provided an educational path that allowed me to pursue it.鈥�

While she admits she gained practical accounting experience before the book knowledge, she believes everyone needs the academic foundation that 兔子先生鈥檚 program provides.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e doing the work鈥攖he job is the output,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here were several times when I would learn a concept in an accounting or tax class that I had already encountered at work. I understood how we handled it in practice, and then learning the theory behind it in class helped me understand the bigger picture.鈥�

That connection between classroom learning and real-world experience carried over into other courses as well.

Burroughs recalls one assignment from accounting professor Sharon Stipe in which she had to complete an individual tax return by hand.

鈥淲hen I was given that class assignment, I had already prepared hundreds of individual returns at work鈥攁nd at first, it felt strange, and a little aggravating, to go back and do one by hand,鈥� Burroughs admitted. 鈥淏ut if I didn鈥檛 already have prior experience, I honestly think it would have been one of the most practical and valuable assignments I completed.鈥�

She hopes other students realize that classes and assignments like this one provide practical, experiential learning they may not get elsewhere until they are out in the field. 

By the time Burroughs was nearing graduation, she had something many students do not yet have: both the academic foundation and the practical experience to step directly into the profession. She believes working at the firm while earning her degree was the primary reason she received a full-time staff accountant offer before she even graduated. It gave the firm鈥檚 leaders an opportunity to see firsthand her work ethic, dependability, and abilities.

But Burroughs believes experience was only part of the equation. Her attitude, she believes, was just as important. And that is something she hopes other students will carry with them into the workplace.

鈥淧eople remember how you make them feel. Be positive, be enjoyable to work with, be dependable, and be grateful for every opportunity you鈥檝e been given,鈥� she said. 鈥淣o task is beneath you when you鈥檙e learning.鈥�

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Story: Lisa Sollie

兔子先生 Graduate Finds Purpose in Special Education

After years of advocating for children in Alabama鈥檚 foster care system, Shameeka Upshaw felt called to expand her ability to serve children, this time in the classroom. Now with a degree in hand from the 兔子先生, Upshaw helps students with disabilities and their teachers be successful.

As special education facilitator at Johnny Carr Middle School in Montgomery Public Schools, Upshaw oversees the school鈥檚 special education program and ensures compliance with students鈥� Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

Determined to build a new future for herself and her two children after the death of her husband, Upshaw earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Troy University and began working in banking. But her desire to serve others eventually led her to the Department of Human Resources, where she became聽a foster care caseworker in 2019.

Several years later, with prayer and guidance, Upshaw left to teach special education. 鈥淚t was hard to leave my babies,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut I knew it was my calling.鈥�

Pursuing that calling required a new path into education.

兔子先生鈥檚 Temporary Special Education Certification (TSEC) program provided the pathway, allowing her to begin teaching while completing the coursework and certification requirements needed for full certification. Working in the classroom confirmed that special education combined her passion for advocacy with her desire to help children succeed. Inspired by that experience, she enrolled in program, which allowed her to continue working in the classroom while earning her master鈥檚 degree.

Balancing graduate coursework and her responsibilities at school, Upshaw also worked a part-time job supporting adults with intellectual disabilities in their homes.

鈥淭wo days a week, I was at the middle school all day and then work from 4-10 and every other weekend,鈥� she said. Between work, graduate school, and caring for her family, long days became the norm. Upshaw also took an overload schedule so she could pay for her tuition out of pocket rather than take on additional loans. Despite the demands, she graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

As demanding as work and graduate school were, another challenge soon emerged, when Upshaw鈥檚 mother was diagnosed with breast cancer during her graduate studies. Despite her health struggles, she was able to attend Upshaw鈥檚 graduation ceremony鈥攁 moment they both treasured.

Today, Upshaw says every challenge she faced prepared her for the work she does now. Whether supporting teachers, advocating for students, or helping families navigate special education, she is determined to make the same lasting difference in children’s lives.

Though she hopes to one day open a therapeutic center for individuals with special needs, Upshaw says wherever the path leads, her calling remains the same: helping children and families find someone firmly in their corner.

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Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo Cody Ingram

When the 兔子先生 launched its in fall 2024, Rachel Walters saw an opportunity to gain the specialized training she wished had been available when her brother struggled with dyslexia as a child. Walters saw firsthand how few resources Alabama offered students with learning differences.

Now a reading interventionist at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Walters works with students with language delays, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other reoccurring diagnoses, including dyslexia. Prior to enrolling in 兔子先生鈥檚 program, she relied primarily on intervention strategies.

Four years ago, a new director of student support services鈥攚ho was also a licensed dyslexia therapist鈥攊ntroduced her to the field鈥檚 specialized training, sparking an interest that eventually led to 兔子先生.

鈥淩esearch showed dyslexia therapy was the gold standard, and I thought, 鈥榃ell, I need more tools in my toolbelt,鈥欌�� Walters said. 鈥淏ut I couldn鈥檛 find the right program until 兔子先生 began offering its .鈥�

According to Sara Reynolds, assistant professor in 兔子先生鈥檚 College of Education, no other university in the state offers a dyslexia therapy program like it.

The program also comes as the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) pushes for more dyslexia therapists in schools statewide.

兔子先生 has partnered with Shelton School in Texas, which uses Take Flight Therapy, a research-based, multisensory reading curriculum designed to help children ages seven and older with dyslexia and related reading challenges.  Developed by the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Scottish Rite for Children, the comprehensive program trains struggling readers to decode, spell, and comprehend written language effectively.

鈥淚 love the support we get from the Shelton School; it is teacher-and student-friendly as well as easy to navigate,鈥� Reynolds said.聽

Take Flight Therapy is one of only a few approved dyslexia intervention programs in Alabama. The program also prepares students to qualify for the Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) credential. After graduation, students are eligible to take the national certification exam.

鈥淭ake Flight is also used by ARI and we use the same trainer,鈥� Reynolds said. The difference is our program takes teachers who only have a bachelor鈥檚 degree and trains them to sit for national exam, while earning a master鈥檚 degree at the same time. ARI works with teachers who already have a master鈥檚 degree. After they complete the training, they can sit for the exam. Our goal is the same鈥攖o get more certified dyslexia therapists in Alabama schools.鈥�

The online program is intensive, requiring students to complete 700 clinical teaching hours using the curriculum. As soon as student learn enough of the curriculum, they begin completing their therapy hours in real-world settings.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e literally learning and doing at the same time,鈥� Walters said. 鈥淚 found that extremely helpful. I didn鈥檛 really feel like I mastered it until I taught it, maybe even a couple of times.鈥�

鈥淪ome of our students are being put in dyslexia therapy positions because once they begin that first year of the program, they are considered dyslexia therapists in training,鈥� Reynolds said. 鈥淭hey can start accumulating their 700 hours, which is what Rachel did. Other students may have to be a little creative in getting those hours, so it may take them a little longer to complete the program.鈥�

Walters said the program has equipped her with new strategies and skills to make an even greater difference for her students.

鈥淣ot only was my training very specific and in-depth, but we had wonderful trainers,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 loved how Take Flight Therapy sets students up for success. When I meet students who are discouraged, frustrated and defeated, I鈥檓 able to tell them, 鈥榊ou’ve got this,鈥� and then see their growth. That is really rewarding.鈥�

In addition to Walters, five other students residing in Alabama completed the program in May. An additional 14 students are expected to complete the program by the end of the summer or in the fall.

Reynolds noted that with the third cohort starting this summer, the total number of active students in the program has grown to 37. In addition to those from Alabama, students from Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, and Florida are also enrolled.

One of Walters鈥� favorite things about the program is that it highlights the strengths dyslexic students possess, not just their challenges.

鈥淚 tell my students all the time, that reading and spelling might be a weakness, and we鈥檙e going to work on that,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut because of the way God made your brain, you may also be creative, passionate, or gifted in other ways. That boosts their confidence and usually encourages them to read more, and that鈥檚 important to me.鈥�

Now that graduation is behind her, Walters is preparing to take the national exam and become a Certified Academic Language Therapist.

Walters recalls when a student told her on one of the hard days of studying, balancing motherhood and working, 鈥淩eading in the classroom is hard, but I love reading with you.鈥� She said moments like those made all the hard work and long hours over the past two years worth it.

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