{"id":1495,"date":"2020-08-07T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T16:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1495"},"modified":"2024-07-23T11:36:13","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T18:36:13","slug":"business-administration-josh-griffie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/business-administration-josh-griffie\/","title":{"rendered":"Business administration online student \u2018always dreaming\u2019 of his next move"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Josh

After realizing he did not want to be an engineer, Josh Griffie switched his major to business administration and soon landed an internship \u2013 and then a paid job \u2013 with Nike. (Photo by Jordan Andrews)<\/p><\/div>\n

Health issues fail to derail Josh Griffie\u2019s positive outlook and pathway to success<\/h2>\n

This is a story about how plans change, whether you want them to or not.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a story about a healthy, active teenager on the cusp of college who develops a life-altering autoimmune disease.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about a standout soccer player who aspires to play for Oregon State University but instead becomes a spectator, relegated to the sidelines.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about an engineering major in a family of engineers who realizes he wants to study business.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about a Nike global sportswear intern whose zeal and hard work leads to a job in global influencer marketing \u2013 only to have his position eliminated by a global pandemic.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a story about one person, Josh Griffie, whose life plans have been disrupted so frequently that he can only laugh when asked where he finds the strength to keep going.<\/p>\n

Griffie, 25, is finishing his Oregon State business administration bachelor\u2019s degree online through OSU Ecampus<\/a>, and he\u2019s doing it while coping with chronic health issues, job loss and the general turmoil caused by COVID-19.<\/p>\n

The truth is, he has grown so accustomed to life\u2019s ever-evolving circumstances that he is prone to making abrupt changes in plans himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my biggest strengths is my ability to adapt, dream and persevere, but it\u2019s also one of my greatest weaknesses,\u201d says the resident of Portland, Oregon. \u201cIt has led to countless opportunities by being able to quickly assess and step into events that are happening around me. …<\/p>\n

\"Josh

Josh Griffie runs his own photography business<\/a>, an interest that runs in the family. His grandma shot photos for Nikon for 40 years. (Photo by Nick Balera)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe flip side of that coin is that while I\u2019m always dreaming of new experiences and seeking to be better, learn and grow, I also often forget to focus completely on the present, to rest and to be content.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding joy amid the struggles<\/h3>\n

Much of Griffie\u2019s time at Oregon State has consisted of venturing down one path only to eventually be pulled down another \u2013 either by his own design or due to circumstances out of his control. He started in 2013 by studying engineering on the Corvallis campus, then added entrepreneurship as a second major.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, he put his studies on hold in 2015 and moved home to Portland. He was burned out on school and constantly battling ulcerative pancolitis, an ailment similar to Crohn\u2019s disease. Not only did he use the time away to focus on pain management, but he also wanted to determine what he wanted out of life.<\/p>\n

The answer: a lot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am blessed that I genuinely\u00a0love life\u00a0and people,\u201d Griffie says. \u201cI love new experiences and am extremely self-motivated and ambitious in\u00a0my\u00a0pursuit of growth. Even if (experiences) suck or are hard, I can find joy and something to learn in almost everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new home in business and online<\/h3>\n

That overflow of positivity has made his second act at Oregon State \u2013 and the early stages of his promising career \u2013 a resounding success. After about two years of building a sizable photography brand<\/a> in the Portland region, he enrolled fully online in the Ecampus business administration program.<\/p>\n

The transition to studying business helped Griffie indulge his passion for marketing. It plays into his people-first, story-driven outlook on life. And the OSU coursework offered skills that played a role in him earning a Nike internship in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout my college career, I\u2019ve always had a job in addition to my academic studies,\u201d he says. \u201cThis balance of learning hard skills in my OSU classes \u2013 whether it be statistics, business law, economics or whatever \u2013 in conjunction with constant interaction in the working world has allowed me to constantly learn as I seek new experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Your next step: Request info<\/h3>\n

Learn more about pursuing your digital communication arts degree online with Oregon State. We\u2019ll provide all the details you need.<\/p>\n

Request information<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

There have still been some figurative bumps in the road in Griffie\u2019s journey, including a literal car crash driving home to take his OSU finals after hanging out at the beach with fellow Nike interns. His health issues persist, but soon he\u2019ll complete his Oregon State business degree, and he\u2019ll pair it with real-world work experiences that will serve him well in the future.<\/p>\n

Even as the world continues to shift from the havoc unleashed by COVID-19 and additional social unrest, Griffie knows that his foundation is built on success and perseverance, and nothing can change that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough my trials, I have learned that you can only control your attitude and effort. I know that even if I feel literally broken down, I can see that there is still joy to be found or a story to be gained as I learn and fail,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a high chance that my next role or project will be outside of my past industries, but I have the skills to navigate whatever is thrown at me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 4<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>This is a story about Josh Griffie, whose life plans have been disrupted so frequently that he can only laugh when asked where he finds the strength to keep going. He’s finishing his Oregon State business administration bachelor\u2019s degree online through OSU Ecampus, and he\u2019s doing it while coping with chronic health issues, job loss and the general turmoil caused by COVID-19. “One of my biggest strengths is my ability to adapt, dream and persevere,” he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,3,677,8],"tags":[19,129,639,301,107],"class_list":["post-1495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-features","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-business","tag-business-administration","tag-business-and-communications","tag-business-and-entrepreneurship","tag-college-of-business"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/josh-griffie-business-administration.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-o7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2861,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-business-degree-josh-misko\/","url_meta":{"origin":1495,"position":0},"title":"On the road, online and on the rise thanks to Oregon State","author":"Josh Misko","date":"September 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"When I enrolled online with Oregon State, I wanted to expand my career by combining creativity with entrepreneurship. But what I didn\u2019t realize then was how much the business administration online bachelor\u2019s program would shape my ability to turn ideas into businesses and passions into opportunities.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Josh Misko, a musician and Oregon State University graduate, plays guitar while leaning against another guitarist on stage at a music festival.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Josh-Misko-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Josh-Misko-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Josh-Misko-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Josh-Misko-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1527,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/business-administration-elevates-careers\/","url_meta":{"origin":1495,"position":1},"title":"Business administration degree elevates goals, careers","author":"Carly Fredericks","date":"September 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Taking the next step in your career is made simple with a bachelor's degree in business administration!","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/oregon-state-logo-600x400.png?ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1382,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/toby-long-business-administration-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":1495,"position":2},"title":"Learning how to move up at work and get an education","author":"Carly Fredericks","date":"April 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Not long ago, Toby Long constantly found himself trying to schedule work around his school schedule. He loved his job at Dutch Bros, and he wanted to move into a management position, but when it came to attending college on-campus in Sacramento, he just couldn\u2019t get the flexibility he needed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Toby Long looks off in the distance. 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