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Mother, Daughter among Students Returning to Campus

She began her collegiate journey right after finishing high school in Massachusetts. “I was going for a degree in accounting,” she said. During her second year of college, she married, continued her studies until she earned her associate’s degree and then decided to begin a family.

When the youngest of their six children started kindergarten, Woloszczuk said, “I decided it was time to finish school” and earn her bachelor’s degree. She enrolled in Worcester State College in Massachusetts.

A year later, when the family moved to North Carolina, she researched area colleges and chose NC State’s College of Management, enrolling in fall 2005 as a business administration major with a concentration in marketing. She will be taking two online courses this fall through NC State’s distance education program, Delta.

Woloszczuk hasn’t been the only one in her family on the collegiate track. Her oldest, Jocelyn, graduated last December from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and now works for the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.

Returning to NC State’s campus this fall with Woloszczuk is daughter Elizabeth, a junior working toward a bachelor’s degree in biology. Andrew is a sophomore at Eastern Carolina University, also studying business. Alison and Ronald attend East Chapel Hill High School, and Martin attends the Phillips Middle School.

Education isn’t all that Woloszczuk’s children have in common with their Mom. Elizabeth is the shift lead for the two franchise restaurants that her parents started – Dickey’s Barbecue Pits – and her siblings put in summer hours.

Woloszczuk, with her husband Gregory, opened the Cary restaurant in 2007 and the one in Durham in 2008. The Cary restaurant was named Best of Cary in the new restaurant division on July 22, based on the voting of the Cary News readers.

She and her husband researched other business options before deciding on the Dickey’s franchise, which is headquartered in Texas.

“We looked around at all sorts of businesses, from starting our own to buying an existing business and franchises,” she said. “My husband has a strong background in the operational aspects of business, so the guidance (provided by a franchise) was not as critical as a great product,” Woloszczuk said.

What they sought was “something that was unique,” she said. “We had eaten at a Dickey’s in Texas and remembered how great the food was. We did our research and found not only great food but a long history of proven recipes – from 1941 – and the unique items we were looking for,” she said.

The restaurant franchise also seemed to fit a need in the region. “For a state that claims good barbecue, there are not a lot of barbecue restaurants in North Carolina,” Woloszczuk said.

Her husband, who works full time in a technology field during the day, also contributes to the family business. He manages the marketing and overall strategy.

p3. Management Studies Pair Well with Real World Experience

Woloszczuk said her business studies in the College of Management are giving her “an overall understanding of all aspects of business. Owning and operating two restaurants, this comes in handy. You can never know everything about business.”

About the blend of studies and an active career, she said, “It helps to learn about things that I am experiencing in the real world.” The marketing concentration, she said, is providing knowledge she needs to help “make my business a success,” including new marketing ideas.

Making It All Work

How does she juggle it all – the growing family, a growing business and her college studies?

“I don’t know that I always make it all work,” Woloszczuk said.

“It has to do with having strong support from my family. My children are old enough to help and take care of themselves. I usually try to get all my school work done while they are at school. Before we opened the restaurants, I would make sure all my classes were during the morning, so I would be home when my children would get home from school. Now that the restaurants are opened, I have been taking on-line classes. This way, I can watch my lectures and do homework later at night, after they are in bed. My husband has been helping with dinners, cleaning, and the children while I concentrate on classes,” she said. .

“The key,” she continued, “is to set aside the time and make sure you make time for everything that is important to you. It is difficult and you will have to give up something, but it doesn’t have to be the same something every week.”

Collegiate Experience is Good

When asked about being a nontraditional undergraduate student, Woloszczuk said, “My classroom experience has been good. The students on campus are very friendly and they don’t look at me as not belonging. A few students have been in several different classes with me. We have worked together and helped each other out. My children have actually helped me with some of my classes. My oldest daughter and my husband have read my papers and helped edit them. My children are very supportive of my school and are proud that I have decided to obtain a bachelor’s degree.”

The road hasn’t always been easy, she said. “I haven’t necessarily followed the traditional path of college first and then a job,” she said.

“I started to earn my degree right after high school and then took time off to have a family. It was not easy going back to school, but I believe it is worth it. My children ask why I continue to go to school if I already own a business. I tell them that I started toward a four-year degree and that I want to finish what I started,” Woloszczuk said.

“No matter how old you are, you can always learn new and improved ways to accomplish a task. By hearing other students and teachers talk about their experiences, it can help you deal with your own problems at work. Sometimes, just hearing a problem in a different way will help you solve your own problems,” she said.

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From the left, Maureen Woloszczuk , daughter Elizabeth Woloszczuk

Related link

College of Management Undergraduate Programs

Delta