From Humanitarian Aid to Healthcare Administration: Student Kimberly Rathburn on the MA in Leadership Program

Belmont Abbey College student Kimberly Rathburn has built her entire career on helping others. After earning a bachelor’s degree in religious studies in 1996, she spent a decade traveling the world, doing humanitarian work in some of the most impoverished communities.

“I went to places like India and Africa,” Rathburn said. “We built food centers and some buildings in villages. That was my first career, so to speak.”

After about 10 years, Rathburn settled down in North Carolina, but her passion for service never went away. She quickly transitioned into a career in healthcare, becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and rising through the ranks to become a patient experience manager, all while raising her three daughters.

Today, Rathburn is a manager of guest services and volunteers for a major healthcare system. She oversees a staff of 21 in-house professionals and almost 300 volunteers across seven different locations. On top of that, she handles visitor management and security, meaning her team must keep her organization prepared for emergencies.

“It’s a dream job,” Rathburn said. “I love working with volunteers.”

Rathburn’s next goal is to take on a higher-level leadership position with her employer. To do so, she needs to sharpen her skills and earn a graduate degree.

With that in mind, Rathburn enrolled in the Master of Arts (MA) in Leadership program at Belmont Abbey College in September of 2025. Less than a year later, she is confident she made the right move.

Turning Apprehension Into Confidence: Getting the Support to Go Back to School

While Rathburn was excited to earn a graduate degree and start a new chapter in her life, she was apprehensive about what it would entail. As a working professional, she knew she would need to enroll in an online program. However, she had never taken online classes before. In fact, it had been decades since she had been in school at all.

Rathburn wanted to enroll at an institution that offered both flexibility and a supportive learning environment. Nearby Belmont Abbey College fit that criteria.

In her orientation, Rathburn learned how to write in American Psychological Association (APA) style and use the tools she would need to utilize as an online student at Belmont Abbey. Once the orientation was over, the support did not go away.

“It had been so long since I’d had to write papers,” Rathburn said. “At Belmont Abbey, we have a tutoring system where I can hand in papers for review. It has really helped the way I write and also my research skills. I don’t know where I would be without that.”

As much as Rathburn appreciates the help she has received outside of the classroom, she says her instructors are just as eager to give her support.

“All of my professors have been really great about answering questions,” she said. “They respond really quickly, sometimes in just an hour or two.”

A Curriculum Uniquely Focused on Leadership

In addition to wanting a program that offered extensive student services, Rathburn also was looking for one that suited her professional goals. For example, as a seasoned administrator, she already had a firm grasp on the technical aspects of administration such as finances.

“I can do finances. I’m good at them. It’s the leadership skills that I really need,” Rathburn said.

Rathburn thought that most types of graduate business degree programs, such as Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs, might not be a great fit for her. She could learn leadership skills in an MBA program, but she would also spend too much time, energy, and money on coursework teaching skills she already possessed.

Fortunately, the MA in Leadership program at Belmont Abbey College was designed to fill this gap and serve students who want to focus completely on tangible leadership skills. Rathburn has only taken a few classes so far, but she already feels more prepared to advance in her career.

“It is incredibly rewarding,” Rathburn said of her studies. “I’m finding that I can push the limits of my creativity all the way out. I’m not in a box anymore when it comes to how I look at things.”

Learning Leadership Skills for Now and the Future

One of the most impactful classes Rathburn has taken so far is Organizational Change Management. In this class, students learn how to approach cultural, economic, and social change as leaders and guide their organizations through it strategically.

“It happened to be the perfect class at the perfect time, because my organization is going through some changes right now, and I got to really dig in,” Rathburn said. “It helped me so much in knowing how to research change and speak about it with my staff in a way that hopefully inspires them to see the bigger picture.”

The healthcare system that Rathburn works for is moving from a fee-based model to a values-based model that emphasizes holistic care and knocking down the socioeconomic barriers that prevent people from getting proper care.

“The inspiration for that was, my colleagues discovered that people in the next zip code are living 10 years less than people in the zip code we’re in, and that disparity is not okay,” Rathburn said, adding that her organization has recently created mobile health units so they can serve more people. “They’ve been doing the research and trying to figure out how we can make that better. We’re going to try to be the proven case study for values-based care.”

An Ethical Framework for Decision-Making

Rathburn is happy she’s learning new concrete leadership skills, but she is just as happy she’s learning how to apply those skills in an ethical way. For example, in her Foundations of Leadership class, Rathburn learned more about servant leadership and other person-centered leadership theories.

“It helped me see that, to be a great leader and a servant leader, I really have to reflect on what I’m doing and how I’m doing it,” Rathburn said. “That was a profound class.”

With what she’s learned about person-based leadership theories and effective practices, Rathburn feels confident in her ability not only to secure a promotion but also to improve her community in a meaningful way.

“The exciting part for me is that, with my master’s degree, I can get to the table where the decisions are being made,” she said.

Become the Skilled, Ethical Leader Organizations Need

In today’s ever-changing landscape, organizations in every sector struggle to cope with change, form effective teams, and strike a balance between success and stewardship. In the online MA in Leadership program at Belmont Abbey College, you can learn the skills you need to overcome today’s challenges and more.

Designed for working professionals, this flexible 30-credit-hour program can be completed in as few as 12 months for full-time students or two years for part-time students. Belmont Abbey’s knowledgeable instructors teach students how to make effective and strategic decisions within an inspirational servant leadership framework.

To find out more about the MA in Leadership program’s curriculum, request information from Belmont Abbey College today.

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