Learning today, leading tomorrow

For Luke Norvell, the MHA program at Clarkson College is helping turn career goals into leadership opportunities.

As a Healthcare Project Manager at OrthoNebraska, Luke Norvell spends his days managing construction, renovation, and operational improvement projects that support patient care. After four years with the organization, he wanted to build on his professional experience and prepare for future leadership opportunities in healthcare.

That goal led him to the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program at Clarkson College.

“I wanted a degree that was directly applicable to the healthcare environment I work in every day,” Norvell says. “My role exposes me to many different areas of healthcare administration, and I wanted to strengthen my understanding of healthcare finance, leadership, strategy, operations, and organizational improvement.”

The partnership between Clarkson College and OrthoNebraska played a significant role in his decision. As a founding partner, colleagues of OrthoNebraska can advance their education with lower tuition costs.

“The partnership scholarship played a major role in making the decision to pursue my MHA at Clarkson College,” Norvell says. “The healthcare-specific curriculum, flexibility, and connection to OrthoNebraska ultimately made Clarkson College a great fit for me.”

Currently taking two courses each semester while working full time, Norvell expects to complete his degree in December. He says one of the most rewarding aspects of the program has been immediately applying what he learns in the classroom to real-world situations at work.

“The program has helped me look at challenges from a broader organizational perspective rather than focusing only on the individual project in front of me,” he says.

Looking ahead, Norvell hopes to continue growing in healthcare leadership, particularly in project management, performance improvement, operations, and organizational strategy.

For busy professionals considering graduate school, he offers simple advice: don’t wait for the perfect time.

“There will probably never be a point when everything slows down and you suddenly have plenty of extra time to go back to school,” Norvell says. “Take it one course and one week at a time. The ability to immediately connect what you’re learning to your professional experience makes it incredibly valuable.”

Join us for a 30-minute virtual information session

We’re offering two information sessions on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Choose the one that fits your goals:

Reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees in Healthcare Management and Health Information Management

Tuesday, Oct. 20 at noon

Master of Healthcare Administration

Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 12:30 p.m.

Questions? Email Gretchen Jopp at [email protected]. We’ll see you on Oct. 20!