Faces of NLU: Meet Dr. Linda Caradine-Poinsett

A healthcare leadership professional advances to CEO positions with the help of her degrees from National Louis University.

At National Louis University (NLU), all our academic programs are designed with career advancement in mind. Our goal is to help students progress in, or change, careers while fulfilling their professional and personal aspirations. Dr. Linda Caradine-Poinsett is one student who used her degrees from NLU to elevate her career. She had already been working in the healthcare industry when she decided to come back to earn her bachelor’s degree. She wanted a program that was career-focused – one that would help her advance in the healthcare field, specifically:

“I was working in hospital administration at the time, and I was looking for a school that offered business education specific to either hospital administration or healthcare leadership. One of the physicians I worked with mentioned National Louis to me. I contacted the school and spoke to an Enrollment Specialist. Once he explained the program, I was convinced that it was the right program for me, and I registered for the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Leadership program.”

Dr. Caradine-Poinsett enjoyed her program so much that she stayed on to get additional degrees and certificates with NLU:

“After completing my undergraduate, I decided to continue my education by earning my MBA and a certificate in Finance. The rest, as they say, is history. I have never regretted my decision.”

She credits NLU’s professionally-focused programs with giving her the skills needed to be an effective leader:

“The academic training provided me with the fundamental education and business training I needed as a professional. The exposure to diverse individuals and perspectives prepared me for the various viewpoints I would eventually encounter in my professional career. I learned a great deal about diplomacy and political nuances during my academic career. The lessons continue to help me navigate the various cultures and political landscapes I encounter as a leader today.”

The skills she learned during her programs allowed Dr. Caradine-Poinsett to advance into executive positions within the healthcare field:

“Since achieving both my bachelor's degree and master’s degree, my career trajectory has prepared me for higher leadership positions. In fact, I landed my first CEO position a few months after graduating with my MBA. Since then, I have had the privilege of leading other organizations as CEO.”

Dr. Caradine-Poinsett says that her new executive roles bring her greater professional and personal fulfillment:

“[I love] leading the organization as the CEO, responsible for vision setting and charting the direction of the organization. I also enjoy serving in a leadership role where I showcase my expertise in business and finance, organizational leadership, nonprofit governance and strategic management.”

There were challenges along the way to her success, though. She says that keeping up with both work and class sometimes meant she had to sacrifice sleep:

“There were evenings, particularly during undergraduate school, when I did not sleep because the work days were long, and I needed to get assignments done to meet course deadlines.”

Dr. Caradine-Poinsett came up with a system to keep her motivated and on track:

“I am a visual person and I needed something visible to remind me what I was trying to accomplish, particularly when something takes years to complete [...] So, to stay motivated, I made a list of all the courses needed to get my bachelor’s degree. Each time I completed a class, I would draw a line through the course with yellow highlighter to indicate the class was complete. Over time, the page had more and more yellow highlighting. Once all the courses were highlighted, I knew I was graduating.”

Dr. Caradine-Poinsett urges anyone interested in going back to school to take the leap, just as she did:

“I encourage anyone who desires to return to school or who is interested in attaining their college degree to “take that first step by taking one class.” If it is truly your heart’s desire to fulfill a personal goal or a professional goal to get your college degree, take a leap of faith and muster the courage to register for a class [...] You will gain so much more, because you will meet people from all walks of life and backgrounds. The college experience will broaden your horizons, and you will learn so much from the diverse backgrounds that the professors bring to the classroom [...] The college experience has given me so much more confidence.”

Interested in our graduate business programs or our degrees in healthcare leadership? You can contact an Enrollment Specialist online or by calling (888) 658-8632 to discuss your professional and educational goals.