Alayna Levie and her twin sister started running when they were eight years old. It’s a passion that has remained constant, and The University of Alabama’s online degree programs have allowed Alayna to keep running as she advances her education.
After graduating from high school in 2006, Alayna began working full-time in retail. “I knew it wasn’t the path I wanted to take forever, so I decided that when I could afford it, I would go back to school,” she said.
In 2010, Alayna visited Tuscaloosa for her sister’s triathlon nationals and was able to see UA’s campus for the first time. “It was by far the most beautiful place I’d ever been to. I fell in love with everything.” While walking along the scenic Riverwalk at the edge of campus, her mother said, “You could go to a school like this, you know?” But Alayna didn’t believe her; she felt she lacked the academics at that time to apply to a school with UA’s reputation of excellence. After completing some coursework at a community college, her confidence grew and she transferred to UA’s online Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration in August 2016.
Alayna’s self-assurance continued to grow as she completed her degree. “It’s taught me more self-reliance. I’m a different person now than when I started because of the confidence I’ve gained from the program. I’ve gotten way more than I ever could have imagined out of it.” A benefit of UA’s online programs is that they bring students from around the country together to learn and discuss course concepts. “You learn how to talk to other people, how to agree and disagree with people well and how to be a team player,” Alayna shared. “I’ve gone to school with so many people from all over with different backgrounds. We aren’t having face-to-face discussions, but I’ve learned about how their backgrounds contribute to their thought processes and how mine contributes to mine.”
In May 2019, Alayna graduated and participated in commencement at Coleman Coliseum with main campus students, which she says was “without question the coolest thing ever.” Along with her major in Commerce and Business Administration, Alayna also completed a minor in Computing Technology and Applications. This minor piqued her interest enough to pursue a master’s in Human Environmental Sciences (HES) from UA with a focus area in interactive technology. Because Alayna was a UA alumna, she was able to use the Build on Bama tuition grant to cover the cost of tuition for the first class of her master’s.
In early 2020, Alayna and her sister decided it was time to use their education to begin pursuing full-time careers. However, when the restrictions of COVID-19 halted those plans, they threw all their energy into running. After seeing their performance improve, they’re building a business around their passion. They’ve trademarked their brand to serve as a banner under which they will compete when racing resumes.
Alayna said that “I 100% could not have done all that I’ve done for our business without the coursework I’ve completed through both of my degrees from UA. There are so many steps in developing a brand and running it, and I have found that I understand what I’m getting myself into because of the business degree.” In order to promote their brand, Alayna and her sister have relied on social media. “I have a lot more technology skills to make videos and infographics and presentations. Anything we’ve needed to produce for our brand, I’m able to do because of the skills I picked up in my minor and in the master’s,” she said.
Alayna is on track to complete her master’s in May 2021, but she already has her sights set on a second master’s to equip her for the future. She has applied and been accepted to the master’s in Management (Global Business Management) which she will begin in January, alongside the final coursework for her master’s in HES.
“Having the opportunity to graduate from The University of Alabama and be a part of the Bama family means the absolute world to me. I’m grateful for the opportunities of online education, because I never would have gotten where I am without it.”
Published: August 31st, 2020