2012 OSU Ecampus graduates

Elizabeth Paben – Military wife has no plans of stopping now

B.A. in Economics
Livingston, Calif.

What does earning your OSU degree mean to you?
Earning my OSU degree is a huge accomplishment not just for myself, but for my parents as well. They came to this country with no education, and they worked minimum wage jobs all their lives in order to provide my siblings and I with the opportunity to have many options in life and live out our dreams. Therefore, obtaining my OSU degree demonstrates to me that through hard work anything can be accomplished.

Why did you choose to complete your degree online through OSU Extended Campus? What did you like about this method of education?
I decided to complete my degree online through OSU Ecampus because it provided me with the opportunity to go to a school with a great academic reputation and the program I wanted, as well as the convenience of completing my bachelor’s degree wherever the military took my husband. Currently, we are stationed in Virginia Beach, but during my husband’s deployments, going to school through OSU Ecampus allows me to move back to California with my family, which helps make deployments a bit easier. I am very grateful that OSU Ecampus is helping military families in this way.

Going to school online had further benefits that I enjoyed such as the opportunity to learn and discuss with students from all over the country and even around the world. I loved the diversity of their opinions, and the insights they provided me with. I also enjoyed the opportunity to do my schoolwork at a time that fit my schedule.

Did you have an instructor or advisor who was influential in helping you succeed as a distance student?
I want to thank Laura Relyea, my economics advisor, for always being available to answer my questions and going above and beyond with her responses. When I first transferred to OSU Ecampus, she was the first person I communicated with and provided me with information and guidance, which eased my nerves about going to a new school with a different method of teaching. Not having the option for face-to-face communication really worried me, but Ms. Relyea made getting advised from miles away so easy and convenient.

I had not even considered a minor when she provided me with personalized options based on my previous coursework and current interests. I am very grateful she provided me with information about a business and entrepreneurship minor because I would have otherwise missed out on business classes that will be beneficial to my career choice.

Aside from helping me increase the value of my degree, Ms. Relyea also helped me understand how to manage my time with online classes and provided me with input regarding my course load every time a new term approached.

All my instructors and the Ecampus staff have been influential because they created an environment where the distance between us was not an obstacle for accomplishing academic success.

What will your Ecampus degree allow you to do that you were unable to do before?
Having a bachelor’s degree will allow me to pursue further goals I have in life. I will now be able to attend graduate school to obtain a Master of Business Administration in order to continue gaining knowledge in this field, which will increase my skills as an employee. It will also provide me with the opportunity to follow a career path that I am passionate about. With a job that I love to do, my life will be more fulfilling.

The knowledge I have gained while obtaining my degree has given me a great understanding of the world and the many things I want to do in life to help make the world a better place to live. I have discovered my love for different cultures and desire to promote social justice for everyone. The coursework I have taken has given me the opportunity to further understand different cultures and the struggles individuals face. I hope to one day be able to take part in helping disadvantaged individuals from all the different cultures in the world.

Through this work, I hope to be a role model for any future children I may have, so that they too understand the value of an education and the importance of using it to help others.

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