012 - I Needed A Win, So I Applied To Grad School.
A win is a win…right?
After a series of job rejections and uncertainty about what was next. I needed a win. A real win. I needed some type of validation to keep me sane. A win that was mine. Something I could control. Something that would remind me that even in the middle of a career pivot and life uncertainty…I was still him.
So, I did what anyone having a mid-twenties life crisis would do—I applied to grad school.
My plan has always been to receive both my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree, so in my defense, this wasn’t a random decision I came up with just because I was in the trenches…it was more so prioritized because I was already on “rock bottom,” so why not? Growing up, my family made sure I understood the value of education, and with my family all pursuing higher education, it’s not so farfetched that I would too. Not only that, but as a Black man, there is value in having multiple degrees.
My ultimate goal is to have a production company, and my logic is I have the connections and background in the film and tv space and if I had my MBA on top of my connections? That combo would hit different.
Once I graduated from undergrad in 2022, the goal was to move out to LA, take some time to get adjusted to my career then eventually start working on my MBA. Back in August of 2024, a few weeks after I wrapped filming a show I was working on I found myself in between jobs, so I took it as a sign to finally go for it.
But if I’m being real, it wasn’t just about school. I needed a win. After wrapping Bel-Air Season 3 in June, I hit the job market heavy. I was applying all over, trying to get booked in different shows and writers’ rooms, but nothing was biting. I was trying to remain optimistic, but after the rejection emails continued to roll in from June to July, and now August, I was drained and I needed a win. I needed a yes. I needed a “Congratulations, Austun…”
So, I applied to grad school.
Attending an HBCU for my undergraduate studies, I knew I wanted to continue my HBCU journey in higher education, so I applied to Alabama A&M University’s online MBA program. Not only is it a sister school to Oakwood (my alma mater), but my dad is a retired vet living in Alabama, which meant I could attend a state school for free, so this seemed like a no-brainer. I put in the work: wrote my personal statement, gathered transcripts, called in a few favors for some fire letters of recommendation, paid the application fee, and submitted everything. Meanwhile, the job rejections kept coming, but I held space for something to go right.a
A couple weeks later, I got an email from the Graduate Program Admissions office that read, “Hi Austun, we have come up with a decision please log into your student portal to view our decision” and my heart dropped to my ass (sorry mom). I took a deep breath, logged into my student portal and clicked “view decision,” and there it was, clear as day:
“Congratulations Austun…”
That was it. That was the win I needed. That was the validation. That was the reminder that I was still him, regardless of what career uncertainty had to say, and an immediate sense of accomplishment and confidence just surrounded me. They let me know that my program would begin in the middle of October, which was perfect because at this point, I’ve been out of school for 2 years, so I needed to get my mind back in that mindset. September rolls around, and I eventually get a job working for a production company helping on smaller sitcoms and eventually get picked up full-time working on “The Jennifer Hudson Show”, which was a HUGE blessing, confidence boost, and even bigger bank account boost.
Now obviously, I knew this graduate program would be challenging, but on top of the academic rigor, I ran into a scheduling problem. I was taking two classes, one on Mondays & Wednesdays from and the other one on Tuesdays and Thursdays CST both classes scheduled from 6-7:30 PM CST, with exams in BOTH classes every Friday. Since my school was in the southeast, it was tough to balance because my professors required all students to be in class on time with their cameras on, which wouldn’t be a problem except I would still be at work during this time because it was 4-5:30 PM West Coast time. Yes, my priority was school…but not gonna lie, my bigger priority was making money, so I would typically log into class a little later, or would have to leave early to attend to my work duties, and it worked for a bit but between the workload of both work and school, my aunt passing and then my great-grandmother shortly after… I was tapped OUT and started to fall behind academically, which was NOT an option for me, so I let my advisor know I needed to defer until spring.
Well, Spring semester rolls around and I get word that Bel-Air wants to bring me back for Season 4 and although school is a priority of mine, staying employed is a bigger priority…so I didn’t register for classes this semester. As difficult a decision as if was, I have different priorities at the moment. I’ve learned to give myself grace. Just because I pressed pause doesn’t mean I’m done. I will finish that degree when the time is right.
Because the truth is, as a rising writer and producer, I don’t need an MBA to succeed in this industry. But I want it. And when I do walk across that stage again? Just know it’s going to hit even harder.
Whew, that’s all I have for y’all today. As always, thanks for reading. I REALLY appreciate it. To keep up with all things Aus, follow me on all platforms @austunreid.
Cheers,
MBA-less Austun
