Online Programs

Robert Hascall ’09

Robert Hascall, busy VP of a Southwestern heating and ventilating company (MSI HVAC) and father of two boys, needed all the down time he could get. But instead, he made the hard decision to go back to school. Now he’s glad he did! Although Robert had two years of college and 22 years of job experience already under his belt, he was amazed at what he learned at APU in just a short time. He said that his leadership courses have greatly enhanced his job skills and widened his horizons. He stated, “You’re just not going to get the experience in a job that will round out your work skills like a focused degree program does.”

Why did Robert choose APU? “It appealed to me because of my Christian beliefs,” he said, and after doing research into other online courses, he was convinced that this was the best program he’d seen. And because the classes are relevant and applicable to his work, Robert says they “cause me to think about what I’m learning, whereas before (when I went to school), I was shutting it off afterwards… Going to school while working means you can apply what you’re learning to your job immediately.” He says that APU has made others think he’s pretty smart: “People at work are wondering where I get my great ideas!”

Robert feels that his APU coursework has been valuable on two levels -- first, he said, “I’m more marketable with a degree,” and second, “I’m getting information I didn’t even know existed. I thought I was doing a good job without this information, but now I’m amazed at how much more I can apply to what I’m doing.“ He explained that it’s “like a bucket of sand…for the past 20 years, I’ve been operating with two inches of sand, but my new knowledge has taken me up another four inches!”

And Robert has also discovered an awakening of new skills this past year -- one is writing. “I never enjoyed writing,” he said, “but after doing so much of it at APU, I find I enjoy it so much!” He added, “The Lord has also given me a new hunger for learning,” which has inspired a greater interest “into the deeper workings of my business.” That is spurring him on to try to “improve things in the company” and “provide helpful input.” “Most of all,” Robert says, “ I want to make a difference. I don’t want to just punch a clock and go home. I want to come to work and be an agent for change, to allow others’ work experiences to be more efficient, more pleasant.”

His coursework at APU has also given him more confidence and taught him how to develop a work team, be a better team facilitator, understand issues, and manage conflicts. And it’s enabled him to jump-start a service award program at work as well. With all the things he’s learned, Robert said that the sacrifices to his free time have all been worth it. “The APU course layout gives me momentum because it’s exciting to finish each module and look back and see what I’ve accomplished. And I’m also excited because I know I’m investing in my career and in my future.”