2009 Ecampus Graduates

Amanda Colonia - Significant accomplishment

B.S. Liberal Studies
Pleasant Hill, OR

Amanda Colonia

What does completing your degree mean to you? How do you feel it will improve your life and career?
This June 2009, I am going to be graduating with a B.S. in Liberal Studies and a minor in Anthropology. Completing my degree means the world to me. I will be the first woman on both sides of my family that will graduate from a university. For me this is a significant accomplishment. I believe that it will help to encourage my own children to see the value of obtaining higher education. I have recently applied for a M.A. in school counseling. I believe that my time spent attending OSU through Ecampus will directly impact my ability to be able to perform well in a master's program and definitely improve my career and life. I am excited to move forward in my education by helping young people be successful in whatever they purpose themselves to do in their own lives. I would not have been able to do this without the opportunities provided by OSU Ecampus.

Why did you choose to complete your degree online through OSU Extended Campus? What did you like about this method of education?
I chose to complete my degree online because of the flexibility it could and ultimately did award me and my family. I returned to school through OSU's Ecampus three months after giving birth to my first child. Distance education has awarded me the opportunity to fulfill two of my lifelong dreams. These dreams were to stay home with my child for their first two years of life and complete my undergraduate education. I loved the opportunity that Ecampus gave me to connect with students while still maintaining a significant role in my home and in my child's life.

Did you have an instructor or advisor who was influential in helping you succeed as a distance student?

Yes, I did have an advisor who was influential in helping me to succeed as a distance student. Kathy Fultz is just one of the many incredible people who works as an academic advisor in the College of Liberal Arts. She has been an invaluable resource to me during my time at OSU. She had so much wisdom and knowledge regarding the Liberal Studies program and was also such a joy to work with. She was such a light and encouragement to me during my time at OSU.

What will your Ecampus degree allow you to do that you were unable to do before?
Ecampus has given me the confidence to move forward in my education. My Ecampus degree has allowed me to apply to a M.A. program in school counseling. This is not a career field that a person can enter without a licensure from the state. Ecampus has allowed me the opportunity to show others outside this institution that I can be successful and work diligently to achieve any goal that I set for myself. I am indebted to the people working at OSU Ecampus. They have all had a part in helping me to conquer hurdles and realize my dreams.

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