Life circumstances prevented John Crawford Davis from finishing college, but they didn’t stop him from succeeding at work. He rose from being a temp in the copy center to positions of increasing responsibility in technology and content management. Ultimately, Davis became a successful entrepreneur and corporate executive director, running divisions for global companies. 

But it always bothered him that he’d never earned a college degree. At age 46, Davis approached the University of Minnesota about pursuing his M.B.A. There was one problem: he needed a bachelor’s degree.

Davis enrolled in the U’s College of Continuing and Professional Studies, completing his degree in multidisciplinary studies in two semesters and one summer. He will earn that sought-after M.B.A. in 2018. 

For Davis, returning to school gave him the chance to learn the academic theories underpinning his years of work. “I was able to connect the dots and add meaning to my rich professional life,” he says. Receiving the Karin L. Larson Interdisciplinary Education Scholarship let him concentrate on school.

Davis says his new knowledge and credentials have led to a better job in which he’s managing a project team for a former client. “I’m leading people and solving challenges in interesting and creative ways,” he says. “I’m doing what I love to do.”