Students Who Graduated in 4 Years or Less (30 to Graduate)

30 to Graduate is a Millersville University initiative that promotes the importance of graduating in four years and provides students with pathways to make it happen. During each academic year, MU students striving to graduate in four years should aim to complete 30 credits, helping them to reach the 120-credit requirement for an undergraduate degree. While an academic year is primarily the fall and spring semesters, credits can also be spread between fall, winter, spring and summer.

Students gain both financial and non-financial benefits to graduating in four years or less and should plan carefully to ensure academic requirements are met. To do so, students should understand their academic requirements, meet with their academic advisor each semester and utilize campus resources. Below are the experiences of recent Millersville graduates describing how they graduated in four years or less, and the positive academic, financial and professional benefits they gained as a result.

Olivia Saborio (May '26)

For Olivia Saborio, Millersville provided everything she was looking for in a university. It had a smaller student body she felt she would not get lost in, a reputable teaching program and was a reasonable distance from home. "When I first stepped on campus," Saborio says, "I just knew this was where I wanted to be."

She states that Millersville reinforced her passion for teaching, eventually earning her bachelor's degree in early childhood education in May 2026. "I love knowing I could leave my mark as an educator on every student who walks through my door," Saborio explains.

At Millersville, she found "very supportive professors" who became "a safe place" for her if problems arose. Saborio credits her hard work and academic planning as the reasons she was able to graduate in four years: "I worked hard to pass all my classes, dedicating a lot of time to studying and completing assignments. I also took the time to plan out what my schedule would look like during my four years, ensuring I met all the requirements for graduation."

For Saborio, one of the major benefits to graduating on time is the financial aspect, including not having to pay for additional classes and being able to find a full-time position sooner. "Additionally," she explains, "it's nice to not have to plan or take more courses!" Since graduating, Saborio has been working as a group supervisor at Hempfield Rec's Day Camp program and interviewing with schools in the area.

Madison Shea (May '26)

This past May, Madison Shea graduated from Millersville University with a bachelor's degree in media arts production and a minor in strategic public relations. When deciding what college to attend, Shea ultimately chose Millersville because it had the major she wanted, a field hockey team and because she "loved how pretty the campus looks."

"I chose to major in media arts production because I have always been interested in what goes on in the entertainment industry," says Shea. "I also wanted to create the movie magic that little kids can believe is real." On campus, she was able to get hands-on production experience with MUTV and earned photography experience through freelancing.

Shea was also a photographer and social media content creator for the women's field hockey team, even developing a series that highlighted her fellow teammates every Monday. "While I was on the team," she explains, "I had the opportunity to create content that promoted games and other events throughout our seasons." Shea enlisted the help of her teammates to create promotional content.

Shea attributes her friends and family to being what helped her complete her degree within four years, as well as the help and support from her professors and colleagues. To Shea, the top benefit of graduating on time is not having to stress over what classes are left to complete to graduate. Since graduating, she has been coaching field hockey at Courtland High School and plans to utilize her skills to help boost her uncle's business online.

Taylor Burke (Dec. '25)

Taylor Burke graduated from Millersville in December 2025 with a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education and a minor in integrative STEM for grades K-5. She ultimately chose to attend MU because of her familiarity with the area and how campus was the "perfect distance" from her hometown, allowing independence while still being close enough to visit. Burke also notes that the dorms not having communal bathrooms as "a major plus."

Burke recalls wanting to be an elementary teacher for as long as she can remember. "As a kid, I would constantly set up my stuffed animals and play school, so I always knew this was the path for me," she says. "Having amazing, inspiring teachers throughout my own educational journey only reaffirmed my choice to make the same impact on the next generation."

By transferring fifteen Advanced Placement credits from high school to MU, Burke was able to skip an entire semester right away. She took winter and summer courses to complete general education requirements as well, allowing her to graduate a full semester early. This allowed Burke to transition smoothly into substitute teaching and have the financial benefits of not paying for additional courses.

Since graduation, she has been working as a substitute teacher in elementary schools near her hometown, gaining hands-on experience across a variety of grade levels. Additionally, Burke is interviewing for a full-time elementary teacher position for the upcoming school year, with her "fingers crossed" that she will have her own classroom very soon.

Bo Meakim (May '26)

Bo Meakim graduated from Millersville in May 2026, earning a bachelor's degree in sports administration with a concentration in sports business. Growing up, Meakim played "every sport possible" and found the opportunity to study sports administration to be a great segue into the sports industry. "I never really considered any other program," he says, "as I have always been most passionate about sports."

When deciding which college to attend, he chose Millersville because of its size. "The class sizes were big enough that you didn't see the same people every day, but small enough to connect with professors on a regular basis," says Meakim. Additionally, he was given the opportunity to continue his career as a student athlete, playing for 4 years on the men's golf team.

At MU, Meakim had a busy schedule as a student athlete and president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. He says the biggest help was prioritizing time management and planning, which further helped him complete his degree within four years. "I loved being able to see all assignments due throughout the semester on each syllabus," says Meakim. "For some, this may be overwhelming, but I enjoyed knowing what was expected of me and being able to plan each semester accordingly."

Meakim says that the greatest benefit of graduating on time is that it "keeps the momentum going" for young adults. "College life is all about finding a balance between school and all the things you like to do outside of the classroom. Being efficient in this will set students up for success in the first few years of post-graduate work and beyond."

After graduation, Meakim accepted admission into the sports administration graduate program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The program is ranked #3 in the country for sports administration master's programs," he says, "so I am super excited to start in August 2026. My time at Millersville prepared me greatly for this experience, and I wouldn't be where I am without MU."

Sydni Chieffo (May '26)

Sydni Chieffo earned a bachelor's degree in media arts production from MU in May 2026. She chose to attend the University because of the focus on live production in the media arts department, and because industry giant Rock Lititz is nearby. "When I was discussing colleges in vocational school," Chieffo explains, "my teacher recommended I look into Millersville and the rest is history!"

She chose to major in media arts production in high school while attending Berks Career and Technology Center as a video and media content production student. Chieffo says she "enjoyed learning hands-on methods for content creation, as well as learning the ins and outs of maintaining production schedules, creative ideation, and collaborative creation."

Thanks to dual-enrollment credits, occupational exams and completing courses over summer and winter breaks, Chieffo was able to complete her degree within three years. For her, graduating early provided the opportunity to kickstart her career faster. "Being able to join the workforce and have a bachelor's degree at 20 has been nothing short of exciting," says Chieffo.

Since graduating, she started her role as theProposal/Business Development Coordinator at Wohlsen Construction. In her role, Chieffo can utilize skills and knowledge from her major and on-campus media organizations like MUTV and The Snapper, further developing her knowledge in the A/E/C field. Outside of her new role, she has been enjoying her summer and working on publishing her thesis.

To learn more about the benefits of graduating in four years or less and tips on how to make it happen, read this.