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Today’s Corporate America and its Uncertainties

By Donald McCann '20 | ​​​March ​22, 2021

My name is Donald McCann, and I work for Citizens Energy Group (CEG). I started with them in 1991, running an LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas Plant) and, for the last five years, Fleet and Facilities Supervisor.

Life has a funny way of showing its power. Corporate America is not the same as decades past: circumstances, decisions, and employee outcomes can change in an instant.

Like many, I worked at a company that I thought I would have employment with until I retired. During my years at the LNG plants, I had four different managers. My third manager, Jason, insisted I go back to school to get my degree. He kept telling me that I was too intelligent for my job and that my talents could be used better in other places within the utility. With his support, I applied to Marian University and never looked back.

A few years later, CEG abruptly decided to sell the LNG facility, leaving the employees in a state of shock and scrambling for new/different employment opportunities. An opportunity arose in the form of a management position within the company that required a college degree. I had five classes left to finish out my business management bachelor’s degree, so as you can imagine, I was nervous.

I interviewed well for the Fleet and Facility Services Supervisor position, and I got the job, but I had to commit to completing my degree as quickly as possible. If it were not for my degree from Marian, I would have been stuck in the call center, where the turnover rate is very high, or have ended my career with CEG to seek employment elsewhere (basically starting all over). I remember thinking at the time, ​Where would I be if it hadn’t been for Jason encouraging me to start.

In 2020, I graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in management, with high honors. Given what Marian has to offer and what I gained, I would absolutely recommend Marian's online and accelerated programs to anyone looking to further their career.

The point of my story is that you never know what curve ball life will throw at you. Corporate America’s loyalties to its employees have changed. In this day and time, you can’t afford to be without some form of higher education for employment protection. I now understand the importance of intellectual insurance. A degree is something that can’t be taken away from you, and when the time comes to persuade an employer to keep you, it is priceless. Young people may not understand, but older people’s eyes are wide open to the cruelties of being shown the front door.

Indianapolis offers several quality universities, but I chose Marian because of the alumni I knew—they just raved about their school—nothing but good things to say, and they were right. I loved my professors, the class sizes, the well-rounded education, even how it was taught to me. I loved the balance of challenge without it being completely overwhelming. In a nutshell, Marian is a cool school! For me, they really made it fun to learn.

Marian is an extremely well-known university in Indianapolis and surrounding areas. Let Marian help you survive the uncertainties of life. For me, the completion of a Marian degree came just in the Nick of Time.