“I’m managing a team of 140 volunteers in my job with the American Red Cross,” says Sarah (Throneburg) Wollerman ’21, ’22 MBA, a Community Disaster Program Manager for American Red Cross of Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, based in Omaha, Nebraska. “Many of them have retired from very successful careers. Some are retired military officers. They see that I know what I’m doing. My MBA from Olivet Nazarene University is making that possible.”
While she was still in high school, Sarah began working with the American Red Cross (ARC). She quickly realized that she wanted to pursue a career with ARC and began aligning her educational goals with that desire. She entered Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) as a freshman with the goal of earning her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. 
“Many ARC employees have disaster management degrees, but I knew I wanted to be part of the business side,” Sarah says. “I knew I wanted the MBA with a concentration in nonprofit management, and ONU is one of only a few universities offering that.”
Full career speed ahead
After earning her Bachelor of Science in social science education and a minor in business administration and also her Private Pilot License from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2021, Sarah immediately began her MBA degree program and also began working as a graduate assistant for ONU. “I appreciated the flexibility of ONU’s program,” she says. “I was able to take all my courses online and work at my own pace. This was a huge benefit for me while I was also working full time. ONU is doing an excellent job of providing a quality virtual education.”
Sarah was impressed by all of her instructors and how they genuinely cared for their students throughout the program. “They were always there to answer my questions,” she says. “And I knew they were investing in me, in what I wanted to do, and how they could help me get there. Dr. Lynda Allen [’82, ’88 MBA], who was one of my undergraduate and graduate professors, became a great friend and mentor for me.”
Being part of a very diverse cohort right after her college graduation was an important benefit for Sarah. She appreciated learning from her classmates who were living all over the U.S. and pursuing a variety of careers. The group projects they completed together and what they learned in the process were some of her best learning experiences.
Set apart for success
“ONU’s MBA program has a good balance of theory and reality,” Sarah says. “That background prepared me well to come into nonprofit management with ARC in 2022. My MBA is the reason I have my current job. I’m one of the youngest managers in our organization. Having my MBA has helped me bridge the years of work experience and age gaps with my co-workers, and has increased my confidence level.”
In her current job with ARC, Sarah oversees 3 Nebraska counties and 18 Iowa counties with 1 paid staff member and 140 volunteers. Each day, she is responsible for onboarding and training volunteers, managing a variety of promotions and events, implementing preparedness programs and interacting with many different task groups and executive leaders.
In 2024 — in her second year with ARC — Sarah received the ARC Employee of the Year Award for her region.
“No two days are the same for managing a business in a disaster context,” Sarah says. “When a disaster occurs, that’s our total focus. But the rest of the time, we are operating a nonprofit business. The well-rounded, faith-based, lifelong learning approach of my MBA degree program at ONU is making a great impact on my career.”
Learn more about ONU’s graduate degree programs at Olivet.edu/academics/graduate-programs. For more information or to enroll, email onlineadmissions@olivet.edu or call 877-465-4838.
