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Posts Tagged ‘online college’
First “Creating Connections” Summit
WGU on March 6, 2009
“Western Governors University held a summit for Texas teachers Saturday at Global High School in Waxahachie with about 40 online students from across the state in attendance.
WGU is an online university and this summit, “Creating Connections,” was the first one ever held. Its purpose was to allow WGU students, graduates, instructors and the Texas Advisory Board to meet in person, some for the first time, and to interact with one another while learning things that will help them find a job and when they are in the classroom.”
To view the full article, click here.
Graduate Profile: Scott Saunders
WGU on March 3, 2009
An IT supervisor for the State of California, Scott Saunders saw the opportunities that having a degree can offer when he was part of a hiring panel reviewing job applicants. While his work experience and skills had always compensated for not having degree, he wanted another promotion, and for that, he needed his degree.
Scott began his search to find an accredited degree program that would apply his professional experience with the Distance Education Training Council (DETC), an educational association and a nationally recognized accrediting agency. That’s where he found WGU.
Going back to school was going to be a challenge. He was working 60+ hours, was married, and never liked school. But every night, no matter how exhausted he was, he came home and logged into the student portal to complete his school work. He even watched previous commencement ceremonies, telling himself, “I will walk that stage.”
Two years, one month, and four days later, Scott finished his degree. To celebrate passing his last assessment, the final “gate” to earning his degree, Scott did what he typically does to commemorate important events in his life—he headed to the local tattoo shop. On his left bicep, he inked a graduation cap, diploma, and his graduation year to symbolize all the heavy lifting.
“To me, this degree is more than bonus points on a resume. This journey became a way to prove to myself that I could start and finish something, and more importantly, that I am smart enough to graduate,” said Scott in his graduation speech at WGU’s Winter 2009 Commencement ceremony in Salt Lake City. “This journey is not the end, but actually the beginning. I now like school!”
One degree and one tattoo later, Scott continues to climb the corporate ladder. He is currently the Chief Information Security Office for Northern California Electric Utility, responsible for protecting one of the nation’s critical infrastructures. And, he’s just re-enrolled at WGU for a graduate program in IT.
Graduate Profile: Shari Davis
WGU on February 27, 2009
Shari Davis had three goals when she enrolled in Western Governors University about 2 years ago: to finish her degree, have a classroom of her own, and improve her physical condition.
“I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in the third grade, but always let others discourage me,” said Davis. “I spent some time in a friend’s classroom who teaches second grade, and after that experience, I knew I needed to pursue my dream. I wanted to help children overcome obstacles.”
Davis enrolled in WGU because it allowed her to complete her degree online at her own pace. She accepted a long-term substitute teaching assignment and did her best to balance work, family, and school. Born with cerebral palsy, Sheri had watched her health and mobility decline over the years. The muscles in her body atrophied, causing severe pain in her limbs, neck, and back.
“I struggled. I became frustrated and even thought about quitting school. After giving every ounce of energy I had to my students in the classroom, I had nothing left to devote to my own education,” Davis said. “I felt like my dreams were slipping out of my fingers.
When Shari told her husband that she was ready to give up, he worked with her, and together, they implemented a nutrition and exercise plan to reverse her physical decline. She leaned on her WGU mentor and friends for guidance as she struggled to balance teaching and studying. Shari set a goal—she’d complete her teaching degree AND she would “walk” at WGU commencement. In January of 2009, Shari met that goal and took it a step further—she was one of four graduates invited to speak at Winter Commencement. When she walked across the stage to accept her diploma from WGU President Robert Mendenhall, Shari had lost 61 pounds and increased her mobility from barely walking to walking over 1200 feet without stopping. Today, she has her own classroom and is teaching fifth grade in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“As an educator, I teach students to ask for help when they need it. I had to learn to practice what I teach,” says Shari. “I realized that I could not expect my students to always do their best if I wasn’t always doing mine. With determination, I knew I could make my dreams come true while inspiring my students to discover and pursue theirs.”
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