When Hayley Carroll ’18 decided to return to college, an ocean separated her from the American system where she already had her higher-education start.
But that didn’t stop her. Carroll, who lives and works in England, is completing a project-management degree through Online and Continuing Education Program while working full time at London builder Harmonix Construction Ltd.
She is one of a small group of students logging into the Linfield program from various locations abroad. Some 84 percent of Linfield OCE students are from Oregon, and 12 percent are from Washington and California. Carroll falls into the “other” category.
Carroll, who holds citizenship in both the United States and the United Kingdom, spent the first two decades of her life unaware of her dual citizenship. In 2013, a chance conversation with a friend piqued her ancestral curiosity. Carroll knew her mother was British – her mom was born in the English town of Brighton and moved to Oregon at age 5. But it had never occurred to Carroll that the citizenship might extend to her, as well.
“I found out that because my mother is British, her kids are as well,” said Carroll. “I immediately messaged my brothers and my cousins that we are all dual citizens.”
The discovery changed her life, Carroll said. She moved to London in 2014. Fast forward three years and Carroll has found her calling in construction management. She debated moving back to the United States to continue her education, but then found Linfield’s project management degree, which gave her the flexibility to remain in London.
“It allowed me to remain in London at a job I love, while pursuing the degree I want from a school I’ve always heard great things about,” she said.
Carroll does the bulk of her classwork in the evenings, and studies while riding the Tube on her way to work.
“I have my textbooks on .pdf so I’m able to read them my iPad during my commute to and from work or the job site, which is a huge help,” she said.
And the eight-hour time difference? Carroll says it works to her advantage. Assignments are typically due at midnight PST (that’s 8 a.m. London time), which gives her the morning to review work before submitting it.
Along with completing her Linfield coursework, Carroll is training on the job to be a quantity surveyor, a professional with expert knowledge on construction costs and contracts. The small size of her company means Carroll wears a lot of hats – beyond just a hard hat. Her day may include measuring drawings, pricing jobs, working with subcontractors, discussing project technicalities, meeting with clients and more.
The quickly-changing environment is just as Carroll likes , and she feels right at home in the male-dominated career field.
“I grew up with three brothers, and I’ve been around construction my entire life,” she said. “My dad is a project manager, so as a kid I was always around his office and work sites.”
Now, Carroll is looking forward to a career in the industry that gave her a start. And with the flexibility of the Linfield online program, she’s already on her way.
– Laura Davis
Hayley Carroll ’18 is pursuing a project management degree while working full time at Harmonix Construction Ltd. in London.
