SNHU Spotlight: Bobby Stigall, BS in Operations Management Grad

Bobby Stigall ‘24 is a jazz guitarist, a military service member, a procurement manager, a father and a husband. He made time for school assignments while in the stands at his 11-year-old daughter’s dance competitions. He finished discussion posts while in queues for rides at Disney World on family trips. And he can now add another accomplishment to his list: earning a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Operations Management with a concentration in Project Management at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

“I’ve been working on this for 25 years,” said Stigall. “I’ve dreamed about this moment. I’m finally here.”

Time in the Marine Corps

After graduating high school in 1998, Stigall immediately joined the U.S. Marine Corps, an experience that he described as amazing.

“Being in the Marine Corps just really gave me a true sense of self and confidence and empowerment,” he said. During his eight years of service, Stigall said he was interested in pursuing a college education but due to the demands of his job, he simply couldn’t find the time.

Stigall still has a busy life. For the past six years, he’s been in the Army National Guard. He works as a procurement manager in the corporate world while juggling his responsibilities as a family man.

But he said he realized he wanted to pursue something else: earning a degree.

Finding SNHU

“I was looking at different schools,” said Stigall. “And my wife, out of the blue, (said) ‘Why don’t you just go to SNHU?’ So I totally redirected everything I was doing.”

Stigall said he spent time looking at the website, trying to understand what this journey would entail. “I realized this would be the school for me,” he said. “I felt like it was meant to be.”

Stigall had 45 transferable credits when he enrolled at SNHU. To earn his degree, he needed to complete 12 classes.

“I looked at that as like a 12-round, old-school boxing match,” he said. “I looked at each term as a ... round.”

He said this comparison led him to push himself and ultimately, contributed to his success.

“As I got closer (to graduating), the excitement was there just to know that hey, (I’m) in the 10th round right now,” he said. “When I got to the 12th round, it truly did feel like I was conquering the fight. It felt like I was about to get the TKO. All my energy, my tenacity, everything just went to another level.”

Juggling School and Family Life

A self-professed “girl-dad,” Stigall said he made time for his coursework while supporting his daughter at dance competitions. During breaks, he would bring out his laptop or phone to work on assignments. He said other dads would approach him and ask him what he was doing.

He said he told them, “‘I’m studying. I’m putting in this work.’ And they can appreciate that because we all know what it means to keep moving forward (with) your goals, no matter what’s happening.”

During a family vacation to Disney World, Stigall once again found a way to prioritize his school work.

“While we were waiting for approximately 147 minutes to ride Big Thunder Mountain, I realized that I needed to put some work in to do a discussion, to do some more studying,” he said. “And that was the perfect time because we were just standing there.”

He said by the time he hopped on the rollercoaster, he’d managed to complete his discussion post and respond to two classmates.

“It’s the story of my life,” he said. “Just no matter what’s going on, I’ve always (had) the tenacity to figure out how to get it done. Disney is no exception.”

A Message to Family

Stigall said his family was a huge source of motivation, and he hopes they are encouraged by his story.

“I have two kids, a young daughter and an older son,” he said. “I like to lead by example, so just showing them that if I can do it, they can do it. It really sets the tone for the family. It sets the tone for how we want to move forward and what we want to accomplish as a united group.”

He also wants to share with his children the value of persistence and tenacity.

“Hard work cannot be substituted,” he said. “If you’re willing to put in the hard work, then the results are going to happen. Just keep going. Don’t ever let anybody tell you that you should stop or quit or take a break ... put in the work that you want to put in to get the results that you want. Be unapologetic about it.”

What's Next

And Stigall isn’t done yet.

“I’ll be starting the MBA program here at SNHU,” he said. “I’m just excited to keep on going with the journey. I feel like an MBA would be yet another level to catapult me into the stratosphere.”

Stigall said that it’s never too late to pursue an education. His mother, who earned her degree in her 40s, was a huge inspiration for him.

“This is what it’s all about,” he said. “Hard work pays off. Never quitting, never stopping. Putting one foot in front of the other.”

Abigayle Mahnken ’22 is an assistant content writer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and is currently earning a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Creative Writing. Passionate about storytelling and education, she enjoys learning from fellow students' experiences and sharing their stories. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, reading, and learning. She also really likes video games. Connect with her on LinkedIn.