Leif Hardwick, an oilfield professional and father, is set to graduate from Texas Tech University this weekend with a Bachelor of Science in Leadership Studies through Texas Tech Online+. After several previous attempts at college, Hardwick credits the program’s structure for helping him complete his degree while balancing work and family responsibilities.
Hardwick has worked in the oil and gas industry for 14 years, currently serving as an account executive at EnviroKlean. His role involves commercial customer acquisition, account management, and technical problem-solving for water treatment and recycling. He often uses resources from the Texas Produced Water Consortium based at Texas Tech University.
Reflecting on his educational journey, Hardwick said, “I didn’t really prioritize graduating high school. I just went and did my own thing. I started getting behind. I even started Texas Tech K-12 (then TTUISD) my junior year, fell behind again and then decided I’d just take the (GED) test.” He attempted college three times between 2009 and 2016 but cited a lack of personal drive and clear goals as reasons for not finishing.
Hardwick’s wife Amanda, director of curriculum for Leander ISD, inspired him by earning multiple degrees while managing her career. Their son Trenton is also preparing for college. Despite working more than 60 hours a week and supporting his family, Hardwick found time to volunteer at his son’s school during marching season.
Returning to college was challenging but different this time due to a defined career path. “Now I have a career path I’m on,” he explained. “I’ve been in the oilfield industry 14 years, so I think I’m pretty much set where I am.”
He chose Texas Tech Online+ because it caters to working adults with features such as accelerated courses, fast-track admission decisions, no application fee, credit for work-life experience, asynchronous learning options, and free career certificates.
Hardwick began his studies in summer 2024 with concentrations in Human Resource Development and Organizational Leadership. Starting with just above a 2.0 GPA from previous coursework, he maintained a 4.0 throughout the program at Texas Tech.
“Coming in with a 2.0, there’s no way I would ever get any kind of honors,” he said honestly. “That gave me that extra goalpost. That was motivation.” He emphasized that organization and discipline were key factors in his academic success.
Lance Pickle served as Hardwick’s online student advocate during his studies. “Leif has always been a lot of fun to work with,” Pickle said. “From the very beginning, I never knew exactly where he would be when we met for a Zoom appointment… But his adventures never got in the way of doing everything I asked of him in terms of his degree.”
The coursework proved directly relevant to Hardwick’s job responsibilities. He passed the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification exam on his first attempt—a notable achievement given its difficulty—after being encouraged by instructor Morgan Provost.
“Most people don’t succeed the first time,” Provost said about the SHRM exam. “But from his introduction posts – explaining that he was working full-time in the oilfield, while taking 15 hours of online courses… he sounded like a hard worker.”
Having completed his bachelor’s degree, Hardwick has been accepted into Texas A&M’s Master of Engineering Technical Management program—an online cohort-based course requiring two weeks on campus—which he sees as a logical next step after completing leadership studies at Texas Tech.
Hardwick attributes much of this progress to Texas Tech Online+. As graduation approaches, he reflects on how the university’s slogan resonates with him: “The closer I’ve gotten to the end, the more it sticks… As I get closer to graduation, it’s made more sense.”
