Waterford Today

Walsh College issued the following announcement on Feb. 5.

Sharon Mulligan-Cooke (BBA-FIN ‘20), of Sterling Heights, knows the meaning of hard work.

The senior financial analyst at Ascension Health in Warren, where she’s worked for nearly 30 years, helps purchase essential life-saving equipment like ventilators. Mulligan-Cooke is also currently completing her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and is scheduled to graduate in June. Her full-time job has kept her very busy during the COVID-19 epidemic, but she still finds time to train for an upcoming triathlon, her third. “I run and bike every day, but I haven’t been able to swim since the gym has been closed because of the pandemic,” she said.

Running towards her goals

Mulligan-Cooke’s journey at Walsh began when she returned to school three years ago to pursue her BBA because she aspires to work in management in the healthcare industry. Before starting at Walsh, she took classes at Lansing Community College and St. Clair Community College and completed her accounting courses at Macomb Community College - all while working full time and being a single mom.

The academic transfer process can sometimes be long and strenuous, but Mulligan-Cooke said her experience transferring to Walsh was very simple and her transfer adviser was “helpful and wonderful.”

“I chose Walsh for its reputation in the business world,” said Mulligan-Cooke. “I believe if someone is looking at my resume, having a degree from Walsh gives me an edge over another candidate.”

Once enrolled at Walsh, Mulligan-Cooke hit the ground running. Attending classes entirely online gave her the flexibility to do school work during her lunch hour and in the evening. Online discussion boards and group projects give her the ability to interact with other students and faculty. She’s been with some of her classmates throughout her entire program so it feels like a small cohort in some ways. Mulligan-Cooke credits Associate Professor Gregory Todd and Adjunct Professor Michael Balsamo with opening her eyes to leadership skills and her own personal progress.

“Professor Todd made journaling a part of the class I was taking, which was an eye-opener for me,” she said. “It helped me look back at all I was accomplishing, which was motivating.”

When Mulligan-Cooke isn’t preparing for her third half Ironman, she enjoys spending time with her daughters, who she credits as being her biggest inspiration.

“My daughters inspire me. They work so hard in school and my older daughters have done so well. I want them to be as proud of me as I am of them.” In addition to grown daughters, Mulligan-Cooke has twin teenage daughters and is expecting her first grandchild this summer.

Crossing the finish line of success

Mulligan-Cooke’s hard work and perseverance was noticed when she received the 2020 Financial Executives International Detroit Chapter Academic Award in March. She was also invited to join Walsh’s chapter of Delta Mu Delta, an international honor society in business administration.

And she’s a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) because she believes it’s important to be involved with a professional organization in her industry.

Why Walsh?

Mulligan-Cooke’s time at Walsh may be coming to an end, and she often sings the college’s praises. She encourages current and prospective students, especially those who are thinking about returning to school, to take that next step for success.

“You will not regret it. I was apprehensive about going back to school, but once I got going, I got into a routine and have taken it one day at a time,” said Mulligan-Cooke. “Now I look back at my accomplishments and I can’t believe it. It’s been three years of hard work, but soon I’ll have a degree. It’s all been well worth it.”

Original source can be found here.