Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram

Four years ago, Lane Westrope鈥檚 family began raising bucking bulls for a rodeo company. That venture eventually sparked his interest in agriculture and business, leading him to the 兔子先生, where he became the first to earn a bachelor of business administration with an emphasis in during summer commencement exercises Aug. 14.

Business, particularly agri-business, wasn鈥檛 always the plan.

After high school, Westrope intended to be a nurse. That changed after he watched a video of a surgical procedure.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 handle seeing other people bleed,鈥� he said, laughing. 鈥淚鈥檇 grown up hunting, skinning deer, and had more nicks and cuts than I could count, but watching someone else bleed?  That鈥檚 a completely different story. I won鈥檛 be the one to come to for help in that type of situation鈥擨鈥檒l be running the other way!鈥�

With a new career path in mind, Westrope began exploring options that would allow him to build on the agricultural background he already knew well.

Rodeo has long been part of Westrope鈥檚 family. As a child, he rode steers and calves while his twin sister and younger sister competed in barrel racing. His father, a four-time state bull riding champion, never pushed him to follow in his footsteps, but it was almost inevitable that Westrope would eventually climb onto the back of a bucking bull. At 16, he began riding bulls competitively and continued competing while attending community college in Mississippi.

That combination of agriculture, business, and rodeo eventually led Westrope to 兔子先生, where he transferred to study business with an agri-business emphasis and continue competing on the University鈥檚 .

Balancing rodeo with his coursework wasn鈥檛 always easy. Frequent travel for competitions occasionally meant missing class, but Westrope said his professors understood the demands of collegiate rodeo and worked with him to ensure he stayed on track academically.

Earning good grades has always been important to the honors graduate, but so has learning as much as he could from his coursework, especially in his management and agri-business classes.

“Organizational management and strategic management taught me how to run a business鈥攅verything from choosing materials at the best price to working with employees and having professional conversations,鈥� Westrope said. 鈥淚 realized it doesn鈥檛 just matter how much you know about your product, whether that鈥檚 bucking bulls, cattle, or soybeans. Running a successful business requires so much more.鈥�

Agri-business courses such as farm management, rodeo management, and agri-business management reinforced the business principles鈥攍essons that are already paying off.

This summer, Westrope began working as a farm manager in Louisiana, where he is putting those skills into practice while overseeing the day-to-day operations of the owner鈥檚 hay business.

“The classes gave me a better understanding of how to make sound business decisions,” he said.

The program鈥檚 emphasis on hands-on learning also prepared him for the job.

In his farm management class, students managed a hypothetical farm, deciding how many acres to operate, whether to raise crops or cattle, and even where in Alabama to locate their operation.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just theory,鈥� Westrope said. 鈥淲e put the concepts we were learning into practice.鈥�

Another assignment challenged students to trace a product from farm to table, giving Westrope a new appreciation for the economics and science behind cattle production.

鈥淚鈥檓 working for a guy right now that can put 250-300 pounds on calves in about 90 days,鈥� Westrope said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got the science down for how much to feed, the percentages of what鈥檚 in the feed, and it鈥檚 amazing. It makes a huge difference to your business when you know what you鈥檙e doing.鈥�

Westrope hopes to continue building a career that combines his passion for the agricultural industry with the business skills he developed at the University.

Though he鈥檚 already applying his degree as a farm manager in Louisiana, Westrope isn鈥檛 finished learning. This fall, he鈥檒l begin pursuing his MBA online at 兔子先生.

“As to what happens next? I鈥檓 still looking at my options. But I鈥檓 in a pretty good place right now and that鈥檚 good enough for me,” Westrope noted. “My plan is to continue to work full time while earning my degree. I also have one more year to compete on the rodeo team.鈥�

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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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