How Bryant & Stratton College Champions Students for Careers of the Future

Bryant & Stratton College is committed to being a champion for students by providing personalized guidance, flexible learning options and career-focused education. In this CLE Weekend interview, Melanie Johnson discusses how faculty and staff support students from enrollment through graduation, helping them navigate financial aid, academics and career preparation.

She also explains how Bryant & Stratton College’s Akron, Parma and Solon campuses prepare graduates to contribute to hospitals, businesses and organizations throughout Northeast Ohio. Watch the interview and read the full transcript below to learn how the College helps students pursue career and life success.

Transcript:

Host: Welcome back to CLE Weekend. We are here at Bryant & Stratton College in Solon, talking about what it means to be a champion of students. I’m joined by Melanie Johnson. Hi, Melanie.

First, let’s talk about why championing students is so important. What does it really mean?

Melanie Johnson: Being a champion of students means that we’re built different for our students. It’s about more than just teaching. We want to advocate for our students’ needs and their success. We need to understand their needs, listen to their goals, and provide support services that align with those needs and goals.

When we say we’re built different for our students, that’s really our brand promise to them.

Host: How do you embody that every day here at Bryant & Stratton?

Melanie Johnson: We live this mission through personalized learning, flexible scheduling, and career-focused programs that meet students where they are. All of our departments work together to make sure students receive the support they need.

When we say we’re built different for our students, we mean that we provide support for working adults, parents, and people who are looking to make career changes.

Host: I want to talk more about supporting students because you do it in a unique way. I think that makes coming to Bryant & Stratton College especially appealing to people who know they want and need that support and aren’t afraid to ask for it. Can you explain how that support works in a little more depth?

Melanie Johnson: Our comprehensive student support system is really what sets us apart. From the moment students arrive on campus, they feel like they’re part of a family.

Our admissions team works individually with each student to develop a plan and find a program that is a good fit. Our financial aid team also meets with students individually to make sure they understand how to pay for their education, because that can be a major concern for many students. They receive personalized attention so they can fully understand the process before they even get started.

Once they’re here, our student services teams and faculty provide tutoring and other support services. Our career services team works with students throughout their entire time at the college to make sure they are career-ready. When they graduate, we want them to be prepared to move into a good career.

It’s really about everyone working together, understanding who our students are, and making sure they know they don’t have to navigate any of this alone.

Host: Bryant & Stratton has a long history, which also connects to being a champion of students.

Melanie Johnson: Yes. For more than 170 years, Bryant & Stratton has been empowering students to achieve career and life success. That commitment continues today as we embrace innovation and integrate tools such as AI into our strategic plan to better prepare students for the careers of the future.

That legacy of adaptability is really at the heart of being built different for our students.

Host: Is it rewarding to see students walking around, happy and thriving?

Melanie Johnson: Absolutely. We love that. I’ve worked here for more than 23 years, and seeing all of the students is so rewarding. Graduation day is always our favorite day of the year.

Host: We also have to talk about the community, because being a champion of students has an impact on the broader community.

Melanie Johnson: Our graduates enter the workforce ready to make a difference by supporting local hospital systems, businesses, and organizations. Being a champion of students also means helping to build stronger communities.

With campuses in Akron, Parma, and right here in Solon, we serve much of Northeast Ohio and are able to make a positive economic impact on the region. Most of our students stay local as well.

Host: That’s really important, especially for students who want to remain close to their families. You mentioned Akron, Parma, and Solon. For anyone who wants more information about these campuses, online programs, or anything else Bryant & Stratton offers, where should they go?

Melanie Johnson: Visit our website at bryantstratton.edu.

Host: Again, that’s bryantstratton.edu. Melanie, thank you for talking with me this morning about Bryant & Stratton College.

Melanie Johnson: Thank you so much.

Host: We’ll be right back on CLE Weekend.