Stewart graduated from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in May 2013 with a degree in marketing and a minor in psychology.

While at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, one of her marketing projects required students to create a business concept and pitch it to mock investors. It was one of her final projects before graduation. Stewart and her partner developed a mock sports bar concept centered around wings and beer 鈥� an experience that helped shape the way she approaches business today.

鈥淚n hindsight, there were many things that helped me, like having knowledge of the basic fundamentals of finance, marketing, and even pitching ideas,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淗owever, one thing entrepreneurship will teach you is that you should always be a student.鈥�

That mindset would soon prove essential as Stewart navigated an unexpected turning point in her career.

鈥淥wning a business was actually a pivot from losing one of our primary incomes at the beginning of COVID,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e originally started as a meal prep company and then switched to pizza and wings after evaluating our business goals.鈥�

Since then, Certified Pies has grown into a community favorite with nearly 100,000 followers across its Facebook and TikTok pages.

鈥淏uilding this business through the pandemic shaped how we communicated with the community,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淲ith everything around us shut down and our customer base operating remotely, we had to use social media to reach them. Truly, Certified Pies became its own personality through Facebook, and people enjoyed being able to interact with a local business.鈥�

Along with its growing social media presence, Certified Pies has also received national recognition. Southern Living recently named the restaurant one of the top 20 places for chicken wings in the South.

鈥淲e have been blessed to be featured in local magazines, but a national magazine is something major,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 truly an honor to put Little Rock, Arkansas, on the map with our wings and to highlight another local business, Truth Sauce.鈥�

Looking back on her time at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Stewart says one lesson stands out: the importance of time management.

During her time as a student, she balanced a full course load while working a 40-hour-per-week call center job.

鈥淢anaging class schedules, professor expectations, along with the stress of a customer service job took a lot of juggling,鈥� she said.

For Stewart, success as a business owner has taken on a new meaning.

鈥淪uccess is very different as a business owner,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 used to be focused on working a full-time job and taking care of my family. Now it comes with great responsibility 鈥� providing job opportunities, feeding the community, and creating a space for families to gather. I appreciate the small wins just as much as the big ones.鈥�

Her advice for current 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students interested in starting their own business is simple:

鈥淛umping into entrepreneurship is like riding the longest roller coaster,鈥� she said. 鈥淲here you are right now is not where you will end. You will pivot many times along the way, but the journey is still worth it. Appreciate it.鈥�

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As a single mother balancing work, school, and parenthood, Robinson is pursuing a marketing degree with concentrations in professional sales and digital marketing at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, thanks in part to the university鈥檚 Corporate Partnerships Program.

鈥淚 remember thinking that I could go through life without a college degree, but I want my son to have a better future,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淕oing back to school is about having a better life and leaving a better legacy for my son. I want to reach my full potential.鈥�

Through her job at , Robinson is one of more than 400 students receiving a 10-percent scholarship on tuition, a $25-per-credit-hour book scholarship, and a waived application fee through participation in the Corporate Partners Program. With almost 50,000 eligible employees in more than 100 companies across Arkansas, the Corporate Partnerships Program is making higher education more accessible for working professionals like Robinson.

Robinson鈥檚 college journey hasn鈥檛 been a straight path. She first enrolled in college in 2012 while still in high school, taking concurrent credit and AP courses. She later attended the University of Arkansas but faced overwhelming challenges. In 2015, a devastating car accident left her with serious, long-term injuries, making it difficult to keep up with coursework, and she eventually withdrew from school.

鈥淲hen I left Fayetteville, I felt like no one cared about me,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淚 was just another number. But when I came to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, everything changed. They didn鈥檛 label me as disabled. They treated me like a student who needed support, and that made all the difference.鈥�

Robinson works as a front-of-house employee at Yellow Rocket Concepts, where she wears many hats. Yellow Rocket Concepts owns popular dining options like Lost Forty Brewing, Big Orange, Local Lime, Camp Taco, and ZAZA. She serves tables, trains new staff, models for company marketing, and is in the process of becoming a tour guide. A six-foot billboard featuring her smiling face even greets customers at one of the company鈥檚 locations.

She enjoys the job and the people she meets, especially those passionate about the craft of brewing.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know how much science goes into making beer,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淭he people I work with are incredibly knowledgeable, and they鈥檝e taught me to respect the industry.鈥�

Yellow Rocket Concepts鈥� support extends beyond the workplace.

鈥淭hey work with my schedule, encourage me to study when I have downtime, and even talk to me about future opportunities within the company once I graduate,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 expect me to serve tables forever. They are cheering me on, and they want me to succeed.鈥�

Despite the challenges of balancing work, school, and motherhood, Robinson is determined to graduate in Spring 2026.

鈥淏eing a single parent makes it harder,鈥� she admitted. 鈥淭here are days when I feel overwhelmed. But my son motivates me. I want to build a better life for him.鈥�

Robinson has big plans for her future. With a background in both marketing and insurance, she dreams of opening her own business that combines both fields鈥攁n advertising agency with an insurance component.

鈥淚 want to own my own business,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have my life and health insurance license, and I want to merge that with my passion for marketing. It鈥檚 about creating opportunities, not just for myself, but for my son and others who come after me.鈥�

She believes that earning her degree will open doors that would otherwise remain closed.

鈥淐ollege is about more than just education. It鈥檚 about discipline, networking, and setting yourself up for a better future,鈥� she said. 鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock has put me in a place where I can make connections and grow in ways I never imagined.鈥�

Overcoming Obstacles and Looking Ahead

Robinson鈥檚 path hasn鈥檛 been easy. She has faced health challenges, financial struggles, and the pressures of single parenthood, but she remains committed to her pursuit of success.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not for the weak,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are sacrifices, and I do regret not getting back on track sooner. But I know that education gives me a chance at a better future. My son was born on Valentine鈥檚 Day, and he was my lifeline when I was struggling. Now, everything I do is for him.鈥�

She also values the support system she has found through the Corporate Partnerships Program and the university.

鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock has helped me with childcare, connected me with financial resources, and made sure I didn鈥檛 fall through the cracks,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e given me the chance to keep going.鈥�

As she continues her journey, Robinson hopes her story will inspire others facing similar obstacles.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e struggling, don鈥檛 give up,鈥� she said. 鈥淔ind the support you need and keep pushing forward. Education changes lives. I know because it鈥檚 changing mine.鈥�

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Osborn lived and interned in Dublin, Ireland, in May and June, where she worked at a small skincare company called Sea Moss Sublime, which makes beauty and healthcare products from Irish sea moss.

At , Osborn worked directly with the owners and took on responsibilities such as researching marketing trends, analyzing social media insights, and helping the company with their social media strategy. She also created content using photos and videos from work trips, including one memorable journey to a seaside village.

鈥淲e would travel two hours out of the city to a seaside city to watch the sea moss get pulled out and made into the gel and other products,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he highlight of the internship was getting the content.鈥�

Osborn said the internship gave her a firsthand look at how a small business operates and adapts as it grows.

鈥淭hey were a very small business, and they used to make products in their own houses,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey had to expand production to connect to a whole new supplier. They needed to get a marketer, accountant, and are in the process of rebranding. It was interesting to hear how they had to expand to all these avenues and the challenges a small business faces as they grow their business.鈥�

Outside of work, Osborn shared a flat with her best friend, Allison Ross, a student at the University of Central Arkansas. The pair explored Ireland together on weekend day trips to destinations like the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and historic castles.

鈥淲e wanted to travel together, so we got to live in the same place and share a flat,鈥� Osborn said. 鈥淲e went out to eat every night because we were a 20-minute walk from the city center. We would get ice cream and people watch, and it was so fun.鈥�

She also enjoyed new cultural experiences, including attending a rugby match, cheering on her team with a flag and chant, and seeing one of her favorite bands, the Lumineers, perform live at St. Anne鈥檚 Park.

For two weeks of the trip, Osborn and Ross lived with a host family. 鈥淲e stayed with a lovely woman named Patricia who would make us great food, and we celebrated her birthday with her family while we stayed there,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen we stayed in a flat with other interns for four weeks.鈥�

One of the biggest takeaways from the trip was how warm and helpful Irish people are, Osborn said.

 鈥淚n Ireland, people are so friendly and want to know about you and your life,鈥� she said. 鈥淥n my first day, I had the wrong address for Sea Moss Sublime. I took three different buses, and when I got to the wrong place, the man there let me go into his office to make calls, gave me a coffee, and helped me figure out where I needed to go.鈥�

Now back in Arkansas, Osborn is already thinking about the future. She plans to graduate in May 2027 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in marketing and hopes to pursue a career in social media marketing and graphic design. Osborn鈥檚 time in Ireland gave her both a professional foundation and unforgettable memories.

鈥淭he highlight of the trip was seeing a whole new country, being able to submerse myself in the culture, and doing that with my best friend,鈥� she said.

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