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A man sits smiling at a table inside a library while chatting with others.

On a mission to ‘make tomorrow better than today’ for younger generations

4 minute read Conversation was a core theme of Bobby Disler’s online Oregon State student experience. The commonalities he and his classmates discovered amongst one another helped to bridge the divide, both in terms of actual distance and within their own identities.

A person wearing headphones sits on a stool at a desk while playing guitar and looking at a computer screen.

Making music at a distance

4 minute read It’s nighttime in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Mykola Balakin is making a flute-like instrument called a sopilka in his home office. A software engineer by trade and a computer science student with Oregon State Ecampus, he’s new to making instruments, but after several hours of trial and error, he has a breakthrough.

John Dusek in a graduation cap and gown with his wife and daughter presenting his dual degrees to him.

Making a difference through horticulture

4 minute read John Dusek loves his work and small town Michigan community, but he began to feel like something was missing. “I don’t know if it was a midlife crisis or what,” he says. “But I came to a point where I realized that there was much more potential in horticulture than just producing pretty things for people to look at. So I decided to go back to school.”

A person kneeling in a black vest with yellow roses behind them.

Finding yourself while finishing your degree online

3 minute read Growing up as a member of the LGBTQI+ community, Michelle Harris understood the power of organizing from an early age. She credits these early experiences with helping to shape her advocacy and as one pillar in her eventual decision to pursue a degree in women, gender and sexuality studies online with Oregon State.

Record-breaking Oregon State Ecampus graduating class features 1,861 students

4 minute read There’s an upcoming gap between live performances for Josh Misko and the musicians he performs with in the world-famous Nashville music scene. His career often pulls him in many directions, but the absence of live music on his calendar is due to him heading in one specific direction: the West Coast.

Persistence pays off as an online student, even when you don’t have a bird’s-eye view

3 minute read There was a time when the idea of “seeing the big picture” was more than Ravonne Byrd could manage. She was trying to find her footing professionally, but different career paths became unappealing the further she ventured down them. “There was a lot of uncertainty, and I did a lot of crying,” she said.

Jose Torres

The power of bringing honors online

5 minute read In the winter of 2023, Jose Torres became the first Oregon State University student to complete an honors degree online. Ask him how he got here, and his story might surprise you. “Nobody in my family’s ever gone to college or university, so it wasn’t even in my mind. We’re all working class people, and so that was my thing,” he says.

Aerial photo of Portland, Oregon, overlooking the Willamette River, bridges and buildings.

‘Dream job’ empowers Oregon State grad to make an instant impact

4 minute read Marty Marrs graduated from Oregon State after earning a B.S. in Natural Resources online through OSU Ecampus. Prior to that, she spent 18 years raising a family, which she loved, and also working in administrative jobs, which she wasn’t as passionate about. “I just knew I had so much more to offer, and so much more to give,” she said. That’s where Oregon State came in.