To say that Moniek T. Pointer is driven would be something of an understatement.

Moniek recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of West Los Angeles (UWLA) class of 2022 with a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Business Innovation. As Valedictorian and Student Ambassador, having been nominated by her classmates to speak during the commencement ceremony, she is a shining example of how a professional is able to successfully juggle the challenges of pursuing academic excellence while managing the responsibilities of a full-time job.

We sat down with Moniek to hear how this Los Angeles native achieved her goal of obtaining a Master’s degree at the same time she was dealing with enormous professional and personal responsibilities.

Q. Moniek, where did you go to school prior to UWLA?

Moniek: I am a proud graduate of Susan Miller Dorsey high school in Los Angeles, class of 1989. I then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in African American Studies from California State University Long Beach after transferring from Tuskegee University. I graduated Cal State Long Beach in 1996.

Q. Why did you choose UWLA for your post-graduate studies?

Moniek: One of my greatest regrets was changing my undergrad major from business (finance) to psychology. I wanted to take the opportunity afforded to me by UWLA to fulfill that dream. I liked that the university was accredited, with the same accreditation as other popular local universities. I also liked that it was a shorter program and would not take me two years. UWLA provided the opportunity for virtually free education as I was eligible for a scholarship, along with my employer’s tuition reimbursement program. UWLA was particularly attractive to me because the graduate program included business innovation and leadership. As the Internet became a more prominent method for conducting business, a degree in business innovation was intriguing.

Q. While studying at UWLA, you continued to work full-time for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority. What does your job entail and how did you balance your day-to-day responsibilities with your academic pursuits?

Moniek: As a Senior Director of Special Projects with Metro’s Emergency Management Department, my responsibilities literally doubled during the pandemic. I provided daily updates to our C-Suite while generating daily reports and serving as the liaison to the Public Health department. During this time, I started my UWLA graduate studies. Within a few months, I was coordinating vaccination clinics for our employees. This involved working six to seven days a week, often including days and evenings. Mixed into that tight schedule, I was attending the graduate program. Making things even more complicated, my mom became terminally ill. I had already moved in to help care for her in the fall of 2020. A year later, she passed away on a Saturday morning just hours before class. My aunt encouraged me to attend class despite my loss because she knew my mom was a big supporter of my education.

Q. Moniek, what are your future career ambitions?

Moniek: Currently, I plan to stay in my job with the LA Metro. But I have also started working on developing an e-commerce business, which I hope to launch by the end of September this year.

Q. Could you share how you feel about what you have accomplished by earning your post-graduate degree and what this means to your future?

Moniek: I’ve wanted to pursue a graduate degree in business for the past 15 years and UWLA provided the opportunity to achieve that goal while continuing my full-time employment.  It has provided new skills in leadership, business development, and management. The education I received was what I needed to help launch me into my second career as an entrepreneur.