Resilience and Reinvention: Corey Butler’s Journey to Success at Global Campus

By Jeff Willadsen, WSU Global Campus

Corey Butler’s unwavering passion for education and business has been the driving force behind his pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in business administration at WSU Global Campus. However, his journey has not been without its share of challenges and even tragedy.

“As you get closer to graduation, you start reflecting on what brought you to this point and how you got here,” Butler said. “While I’m excited to finish and very happy to be where I am today, I want my fellow students to know that life doesn’t always go in a straight line. It’s often a winding road.”

Achieving a degree has always been a goal for Butler, and he will be the first in his family to reach this milestone. Yet, after beginning his academic journey in 2017, a personal tragedy altered the course of his life.

“My spouse passed away from an overdose, and that really devastated me,” Butler shared. “I had to take stock of my life and decide how I wanted to move forward.”

Initially, Butler considered changing his academic and career path to become an addiction counselor.

“I wanted to make a difference and help prevent people from going through what I did,” he said. “At the time, it seemed like a good way to cope with the tragedy and focus my life going forward.”

However, in 2020, Butler discovered a different passion.

“I found that I was really fascinated by business, especially international commerce,” Butler said. “It became a dream of mine to dive into the business world and someday, hopefully, become the CEO of a company.”

Although helping people with addiction remains important to him, Butler decided to pursue the career that truly excited him.

In pursuit of his dream, Butler began looking for a business degree that would fit his needs.

“I knew I needed the flexibility of an online school so I could work full-time,” he said. “WSU’s business degrees had a great reputation for being challenging and impactful, and that’s what I wanted.”

When Butler began his degree, he found that WSU’s Carson College of Business lived up to its reputation.

“Despite being online, the classes were very involved and in-depth,” he said. “I loved it and wanted to learn as much as possible.  Balancing work, school, and home life was achievable, though still challenging at times.”

Time management proved to be one of the biggest hurdles, especially initially. Despite the difficulties, Butler credits the support of his family and others for helping him persevere.

As Butler worked toward his degree, he managed to rebuild his personal life as well. He found love again and remarried, adding another dimension to his support system. “My husband Billy has been my rock,” Butler said. “He has always been there to help me focus. I don’t think I would have made it this far without his support.”

 “My academic advisors, Rebecca Stull and Janet Wichman, have also been incredibly helpful and supportive,” he added. “They have provided me with great resources and guidance as I work toward graduation.”

“Earning my degree at WSU Global Campus is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Butler said. “I encourage everyone with a passion to pursue it, even when the going gets tough. It, and you, are worth it.”

Butler plans to graduate in Fall 2024, and then pursue an MBA through WSU Global Campus.