One EDBA grad will change your view of rural Alabama communities now

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First UNA EDBA graduate and his family — Shawn Jyawook + his family. (Lacey Spear / Hville Blast)

Shawn (“Shirwan”) Jyawook is one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met. He immigrated from the Middle East, started and sold two successful companies and now has made history as the first Executive Doctor of Business Administration (EDBA) graduate from the University of North Alabama.

Read on to learn more about his successful journey and interesting discoveries about rural Alabama communities.

VIDEO HERE

Meet Shawn

Shawn and his EDBA class ring at UNA — Shawn started class rings for the EDBA graduates. (Lacey Spear / Hville Blast)

Shawn grew up in the Middle East and immigrated to rural America as a child—an experience that would greatly impact his dissertation research at UNA.

He attended boarding school in Massachusetts and enrolled in a small college in Maine, where he played [insert specific sport]. From there, he launched into a lucrative career path. Check out what he’s been up to over the years:

Started his first business—a company called TriFlex—at 25 years old
Got his MBA at Northwood University
Sold his first business + then started an international company called JYCO with his father, complete with 2,000 employees, $200M in revenue + factories in China, Mexico, the Czech Republic + beyond
Completed a graduate program Industrial Engineering at the University of Michigan
Sold JYCO + worked for two other companies before enrolling in the EDBA program at UNA + taking on his current role as a General Manager for Wabtech

First EDBA graduate

Shawn at his UNA EDBA graduation — UNA Sanders COBT graduation ceremony, 2024. (Lacey Spear / Hville Blast)

Add another accomplishment to Shawn’s long list of achievements—he’s now the first student to graduate from UNA with his EDBA.

“It’s exciting to be the first one to graduate from the EDBA program, but I wish I was walking alongside the other cohorts I’ve become very close with.”
Dr. Shawn (“Shirwan”) Jyawook

Shawn has resonated with the community-focused nature of the program from the start. As opposed to most graduate programs, UNA’s EDBA offers one residency weekend per month for cohorts to come together and collaborate.

“What really impressed me about this program was that it wasn’t mostly remote—with only one or two residency weekends per year. We had a residency weekend every month.

We would be at the university from Friday to Sunday, and it was almost like a class boot camp. It was challenging, but I learned so much from those intensive weekends.”
Dr. Shawn (“Shirwan”) Jyawook

He also appreciated how the program balanced the theoretical nature of academia with the practical necessities of the business world.

“When I first started talking with Dr. Davenport and Dr. Parnell about the program, I was impressed by their initiative to apply the theoretical material to the workforce. I immediately saw how the EDBA had a rigor, direct application and a high amount of relevance.”
Dr. Shawn (“Shirwan”) Jyawook

Want the perfect balance of remote study and in-person sessions? Check out UNA’s EDBA.

Researching rural communities

Shawn and his family — Shawn with his wife, son, sister + brother-in-law. (Lacey Spear / Hville Blast)

Originally from the Middle East, Shawn understands the complexities of immigrating to rural America. That’s why he felt inspired to study rural communities in Alabama for his dissertation research, with the ultimate goal of improving talent retention in the workforce.

His first step was understanding the level of bias these rural communities might have toward immigrants.

“I examined a rural community with a predominantly Hispanic population in North Alabama and was stunned by how they embraced the immigrant population. I went to sporting events, pep rallies and community events and saw that this community had found a nice blend between Southern culture and Hispanic heritage.

When I first came to America, I changed my name from Shirwan to Shawn because people couldn’t say it. But there, no one changed their names—they were still Pedro, Javier, etc.”
Dr. Shawn (“Shirwan”) Jyawook

After analyzing the community’s approach toward the immigrant population, Shawn sought to discover how to retain workforce talent in rural communities.

He found that rural communities often invested their time in the valedictorians—their best and brightest stars—when these were the people who typically chose to move away from rural communities. His solution? Invest in the people that are going to stay.

In his dissertation research, Shawn recommends that these communities invest in their workforce by hiring plant managers or ops managers, etc. who are a part of the immigrant community, instituting bilingual team leaders and more.

Check out the EDBA program at UNA

Shawn chatting with one of his professor's at his graduation reception party at UNA — Shawn chatting with one of his professor’s at his graduation reception party. (Lacey Spear / Hville Blast)

If you’re interested in taking your career and research to the next level like Shawn, check out UNA’s EDBA at a glance:

Cost: $33,030 per year
Time to complete: 36 months part-time
Format: Online with in-person class sessions once per month
AACSB accredited, making UNA in the top 5% of business schools worldwide.
The next semester start date is [insert dates] + UNA is still accepting applications—apply now.

The rigorous side of decision-making is not something that you can take in a weekend course or online. It’s only at the doctoral level that you can push the envelope for this type of analytical thinking.

I think the EDBA should be a requirement for anyone at the general manager or VP level.
Dr. Shawn (“Shirwan”) Jyawook

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