Deb Hagan wanted to succeed in the boardroom and knew that a
master's degree would help her do that. Maintaining a full-time
job and being a busy mother of two wasn't going to stop her
from getting it. In fact, neither was giving birth to her third
child, which just so happened right in the middle of her online
coursework at the University of Phoenix.
Two days after her son was born, she wrapped up a statistics
class; less than one week after that, she registered for two
more courses. Crazy? Ambitious is more like it. Hagan saw an
opportunity to make professional and personal advancements through
online learning, and now that she's latched on, she's not letting
go.
"I wanted to improve myself - professionally and personally,"
she explains. "I always wanted to get my master's degree,
and I have small children, so that meant I couldn't pursue
a more traditional method. The only way for me to achieve
this goal was through online learning."
As an employee in the Media and Institutional Relations department
at Carlow University (Pittsburgh, Penn.), Hagan knew that
in order to advance in the public relations field, she needed
an MBA.
"I want to stay in the marketing field, and the MBA
could open up more opportunities for me," she says. "I
knew I wanted to try something different, and now that I've
enjoyed PR work, I want to be able to take the next step."
And online learning turned out to be an asset rather than
a fallback plan. "The University of Phoenix is very convenient
and flexible," she said. "Don't get me wrong - the
class load and the academic work are very intense. The education
you receive from the program is unprecedented. But I need
the flexibility it offers."
Hagan enjoys the strong support of her family and co-workers
- always a source of encouragement and motivation. But regardless
of how you pursue an MBA, or who is cheering you on, it's
going to be hard work, she says.
"The university has requirements in terms of participation,"
she explains. "You must participate anywhere between
four to five days a week. I average about five to six days
a week, and that usually takes place between 9 p.m. and midnight."
What sounds like an exhausting regimen for Hagan is really
just par for the course as far as she's concerned. "I
think when people really want something, they just find ways
to achieve their goals," she says. "My goal is to
finish the MBA, and I'm focused on following through."
And just how far was she willing take this commitment? To
the maternity ward. "When I began this program last year,
I was pregnant with my third child," she says. "I
continued my studies through the entire pregnancy... even
giving birth! " Her son was born on May 17th and she
finished up my statistics class on the 19th. "After less
than a week of break, I was already registering for my marketing
and economics classes."
Hagan literally had the laptop right there with her on the
hospital bed - a testament to both her dedication to education,
as well as online learning's adaptability to nearly all circumstances.
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