I am a mom, wife, full-time employee, and social person. I volunteer as a part of professional organizations and I like to watch TV. When I started this program, I was out of school for eight years and really had to adjust.

I have a great support team with my husband, my kids, and my other family members. I remember playing games on my phone and my daughter was like “mom, don’t you have homework?” I wanted to give her the side-eye, but she was right. My husband often reminds me of the legacy in education we are building as a source of inspiration for our children. We are breaking barriers and setting high standards.

I found time management depended on the course and work-load with how I would get things done. I am fortunate to have a job with quite a bit down time, this allowed me to get a lot of my homework done at work. I would also do some work after work if needed. Now, there were times I was submitting assignments at the last minute because I am a procrastinator, but I made adjustments because it was not sustainable. Discussion posts were due Wednesday night and responses on Monday. I took advantage of the calendar and noted when larger assignments were also due. I would submit discussion posts by Tuesday and then responses by Thursday to keep my weekends clear as best as I could. If I had a vacation planned, I worked ahead. There were always one or two classmates that would complete the initial posts ahead of time, so that helped. I recruited my husband to take over meals on some days and let him know in advance if I had a heavy week of work so he could take over responsibility with the kids and home.

Before starting the program, I honestly did not know how I would do with an online format because I struggled with online courses in the past. This program helped me organize my life a little better to actually get things done. I also became savvy using the library.

I hate not finishing something I start. With 2020 being such a heavy year, there were times I felt in over my head ... especially with my capstone. I learned how to communicate my struggles to the professors, which helped me. They cannot help if they do not know you are drowning in life.

The professors have been very supportive overall. Some of my favorites were Dr. Halasy and Dr. Danielson. With Dr. H, he made research digestible. I was very intimidated with the capstone and he was not only understanding, but also a cheerleader. I appreciated that beyond words. He really has me motivated to do some research outside of this program. Dr. Danielson is just a light of good energy and it’s also inspiring to see how many publications he has!

I think prospective students should know their “why.” And while in the program, they should also set apart time to do the work; you really cannot do it all in one day of the week. Have a support system. Hold yourself accountable. Have fun. Share your experience! I am a believer in short-term pain for long-term gain. I remember how far I was and how far I have come, to only have a couple weeks until I am finished is crazy!