2006 Ecampus Graduates

Gina Dee Kerzman - Leadership

B.S. in General Agriculture

Home: Pendleton, Oregon
Family: Husband, Paul; children, Mikayla, 7 and Lathan, 4
Current work/career: USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service

How long have you been working toward this degree?
Two and a half years

What did you like most about online education? I am a mom of two small children (they were five and two when I started), and I worked part-time. I didn't have time to sit in a classroom. Besides, the nearest University was an hour away. I had only taken one class long-distance and was in the middle of my second when my husband was deployed to Iraq with the Army National Guard. If it hadn't been for the long-distance program, I would never have been able to continue to go to school while working and raising two small children alone.

How do you feel your degree will benefit you in your career, life, etc. This is my second bachelor's degree. My first degree was from Montana State University, Bozeman, MT in speech communications. I was working for the USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service as a public affairs specialist. I wanted to stay within the agency, but be eligible for promotion opportunities, and be a leader in the agency. I feel it's important for women to serve in leadership positions in a male-dominated agency, and set an example for younger women. Since finishing all the coursework within my major, I qualified for a full-time technical position (in December 2005) with the agency, and when I graduate I will be eligible to advance as far as I wish to go.