Growing up in the Tampa Bay area, Shirley Stroud’s academic ambitions often involved earning a college degree from the University of South Florida. Even after accomplishing that goal by completing a bachelor’s degree program at USF, she still dreamed of returning one day to earn a master’s degree.
Then, life happened.
“At one point, I had given up on the idea of pursuing a graduate degree because I felt I was past that point in my life. I thought I was too old, I have a family, I have a home, I have a job, I have bills…so many excuses,” Stroud said.
Eventually, she started coming up with a plan. She wanted to attain her goal, make her husband and parents proud and inspire her daughters. She also wanted to fulfill a long-ago promise made to her grandfather, who had dreamed of her earning a graduate degree.
Today, she’s made good on that promise and much more. Stroud holds two degrees and a graduate certificate from USF. She’s also held a variety of positions as a healthcare professional including a position as a senior compliance officer where a core responsibility is applying advanced technology to make delivery of healthcare more effective and efficient.
Encourages Others to Follow Their Dreams
In addition to academic and professional accomplishments, Stroud has built a life in Tampa Bay where she lives with her husband and children. She sings as part of her church’s worship team, paints and draws in her spare time, and remains an avid cook who enjoys including her daughters when cooking family recipes.
Stroud earned everything she has but feels grateful for the opportunities.
“To say that I am a USF graduate [again] fills me with great pride,” she said after earning her Master of Science in Health Informatics from USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine. “Growing up in the Tampa Bay area, I always heard about USF and the wonderful learning institution it is. To be able to say I obtained my graduate degree from one of the top graduate schools in the nation is humbling.”
She hopes her experience serves as an inspiration for working professionals who dream of furthering their education.
“It is never too late to follow your dreams,” Stroud said. She said once she committed to earning her degree, “doors opened for me to accomplish it. Everything worked itself out and my worries went away. These two years have flown by. What seemed daunting or even impossible at first, is now something I officially mark as ‘complete’ in my life’s journal.”
Building a Better Future
A native of Puerto Rico, Stroud moved to the Tampa Bay area at the age of 11. She refers to herself as “a USF Bull, through and through.” Stroud earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences in 2009, followed by a USF Graduate Certificate in Health Sciences and then the MS in Health Informatics in 2022. She said she sought the graduate degree in part to achieve “a better future for myself and my family.”
Between earning her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, Stroud worked at a top cancer center in patient advocacy and patient education. In her role, she learned much about the administrative, executive and technical side of healthcare. She then transitioned into a new role where she worked in quality assurance and analytics.
“The role allowed me to obtain experience in management, technology and analytics. Both experiences lead to a passion for healthcare administration and technology,” Stroud said.
Stroud now oversees a team of compliance professionals and serves as a leader for U.S. compliance requirements for meetings, speaker bureau programs and travel related to life sciences business.
Stroud listed her current responsibilities: team operational oversight, personnel related matters, team operational metrics, compliance support for new client implementations, team training/onboarding, compliance related optimizations and compliance campaigns.
She said the online MS in Health Informatics program provided her with the knowledge she needs in her current job position, including healthcare administration management, technology, health law and project management.
She added, “I will be paving the way for other compliance professionals in my organization, and I will use the tools my master’s degree in health informatics has equipped me with.”
Making the Decision to Earn an Online Master’s Degree
Stroud decided to pursue her master’s degree through USF Health’s online program during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a time when many people experienced upheavals in their life. For Stroud, that upheaval came when her company laid off a large portion of its workforce, including her.
She said that, during this time, a friend provided her information about USF Health’s MS in Health Informatics. “I immediately knew this program was for me. This program combined many of the aspects I love about my work experiences while also giving me an opportunity to advance in my career.”
Going to school online proved a perfect fit for Stroud, especially at that point in her life. While earning a master’s degree had long been in her plan, returning to school with two small children seemed complicated.
“USF Health online was convenient because it was all remote and allowed me to work in my own time,” Stroud said. “I was impressed by the curriculum which aligned with many of my interests in a graduate degree.”
She added, “Of course, a huge motivation towards choosing USF is that it is my alma mater. I have experience with the caliber of professors and quality of education the University of South Florida offers. Also, a part of me had always dreamed of obtaining a degree from the Morsani College of Medicine.”
The Online Classroom Experience
Stroud admitted to feeling intimidated about returning to USF so many years after earning her undergraduate degree. She said the USF faculty soon eliminated those fears, easing her worries by being both understanding and approachable. She said her classmates also enhanced the experience.
“Although the degree is [offered online], I was also able to connect with classmates regularly. Not only did I learn from our class, but from their experiences, as well. Although it was not easy because it is a graduate degree, it was an enjoyable experience. Given the opportunity, I would do it again,” Stroud said.
She picked Case Studies in Health Information Management as her favorite course. The class focuses on applying the knowledge and skills learned in the program to different scenarios, giving students a chance to showcase what they have learned.
She said the course instructor, Dr. Daniel Dansby, was “wonderful and responsive.” She also singled out Dr. Athanasios Tsalatsanis. “He is committed to helping students succeed and learn. His concern over his students was palpable and appreciated.”
Student Support and Career Preparation
In addition to support from USF faculty, Stroud said her Bisk student success representative elevated her experience. He demonstrated knowledge about the course and provided feedback to put Stroud’s mind at ease. “He called often to check in, he ensured I had everything I needed for my courses, and truly cared about how I felt going into a new class. He was truly invested in watching me succeed,” Stroud said.
Stroud said her husband, daughters, parents, friends and church members encouraged and supported her throughout the graduate program. She drew inspiration from many different sources, including the memory of her grandfather.
“One of my biggest inspirations to succeed was my grandfather,” Stroud said. During her time as an undergraduate student, her grandfather told her he had dreamed that she would graduate from USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine and that he was “dancing in the stands with pride.”
“I told him I would do it for him. This was over a decade ago, but I never forgot my promise to him,” Stroud said, “Although he did not live to see me graduate, he was with me in spirit, cheering me on. This one is for you, Abuelo!”
