{"id":1072,"date":"2018-11-16T15:58:40","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T23:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1072"},"modified":"2024-04-02T14:08:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T21:08:14","slug":"janine-romero-liberal-studies-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/janine-romero-liberal-studies-online\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Choose your own adventure\u2019 in online liberal studies degree program"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Oregon State\u2019s online program fit Janine Romero\u2019s on-the-move military lifestyle<\/h2>\n<div class=\"intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"744\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GZ6mWvwflrs?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption video-caption-full\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Though she earned her degree from a distance, Janine Romero found connection to the university through her classmates and instructors, as well as military representatives at OSU who helped answer questions about transferring her husband\u2019s military benefits and balancing school with home life as a <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/military\/spouses.htm?utm_source=ecampus-news&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=liberal-studies-military&amp;utm_content=20181113\">military spouse<\/a>. (Military photos used in this video are courtesy Madeline Settle.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>By <a title=\"All stories by Julie Cooper\" href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/author\/coopejul18\/\">Julie Cooper<\/a><\/em> <a title=\"Contact Julie Cooper\" href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/staff\/bio\/coopejul.htm\"><em class=\"icon-user osu-gray fa fa-user\"><br \/>\n<\/em><\/a>Nov. 16, 2018<\/p>\n<p>Devoting 15 years of work to anything is a big deal, whether that\u2019s a job, a home, a relationship, or \u2013 in Janine Romero\u2019s case \u2013 a college degree.<\/p>\n<p>She started working toward her bachelor\u2019s degree at the age of 19 while living overseas with her husband, Lee, who is active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Constantly moving to new locations with her husband meant Janine\u2019s degree pursuit moved at a stop-and-go pace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had all these transcripts from all these different schools, and I didn&#8217;t have a degree,\u201d says Janine, who now lives near the Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>When she finally took stock of all the hard work she\u2019d already invested, she realized she\u2019d need to try something different to reach the finish line. So she looked for a degree program that would go anywhere she did.<\/p>\n<p>To ensure that her long-earned degree would be tailored exactly to her goals, she didn\u2019t settle until she found the perfect fit: a military-friendly university that offered a rigorous and well-rounded education to fulfill her interest in both the humanities and the sciences.<br \/>\n<!-- video sidebar start --><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-caption\">\n<div><a class=\"fancybox-media playbox thumbnail-video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HBOc-bAYGYQ\" rel=\"media-gallery\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Liberal-studies-Janine-Romero.jpg?resize=320%2C213&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Oregon State Ecampus liberal studies student, Janine Romero, uses a silver laptop at a desk in a room with colorful sofas.\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><span class=\"play-button-center\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/includes\/2012\/images\/play-button-dark.png\" alt=\"Play\" \/><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Janine drew from theater, music, literature, philosophy and natural sciences to inform her liberal studies education \u2013 or as she calls it, her \u201cchoose-your-own-adventure degree.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>She found her match in the Oregon State University Ecampus <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/ls\/?utm_source=ecampus-news&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=liberal-studies-military&amp;utm_content=20181113\">liberal studies degree program<\/a>\u00a0online.<\/p>\n<p>Offered by the OSU <a href=\"https:\/\/liberalarts.oregonstate.edu\/\">College of Liberal Arts<\/a>, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.collegechoice.net\/rankings\/best-online-liberal-arts-colleges-for-bachelors-degrees\/\">best online liberal arts colleges<\/a>, the liberal studies program allows students to draw from a variety of subjects and design their own major.<\/p>\n<p>At a critical fork in the road of her career, Janine was able to earn a degree in a program where she could, in fact, have it all. She drew from theater, music, literature, philosophy and natural sciences to inform her liberal studies education \u2013 or as she calls it, her \u201cchoose-your-own-adventure degree.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"smartquote\">&ldquo;<\/span>I was always afraid that I would just be a number as an Ecampus student. I feel like the instructors here, they know who I am, and it\u2019s because I was able to engage with them as often as I did.<span class=\"smartquote\">&rdquo;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Her personalized education prepared her to not only make a career out of her lifelong appreciation for the arts, but it also enabled her to pursue new interests that surfaced as she gained work experience.<\/p>\n<p>In 2014, she began working with Upward Bound, a federally funded program that helps low-income and first-generation students prepare for higher education. Working with students at her local community college, she began to see a future for herself in college outreach, tutoring and mentorship.<\/p>\n<p>She was also able to teach theater and creative writing during the Upward Bound summer program, bringing arts and humanities education to youth in Clovis and its surrounding rural areas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like I earned a degree in rhetoric,\u201d she says. \u201cI really know the messages that people are trying to communicate, how they communicate them, where they go, who hears them and who sees them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The strengthened critical thinking and interpersonal communication skills she gained while learning online with OSU Ecampus earned her a position as an academic specialist with Eastern New Mexico University Upward Bound, where she now advises students and helps them reach their academic and career goals.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textBox\" style=\"width: 30%; min-width: 180px;\">\n<h2>Gain personalized support while earning your degree online<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe military resources here at Oregon State were wonderful,\u201d Janine says. \u201cEvery question I had, every phone call I made, every email I sent was returned to me; and it was kind, knowledgeable and informational.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"button\"><a title=\"Learn more about Oregon State's military spouse support\" href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/military\/spouses.htm?utm_source=ecampus-news&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=liberal-studies-military&amp;utm_content=20181113\">Learn more<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p>Though she earned her degree from a distance, Janine found connection to the university through her classmates and instructors, as well as military representatives at OSU who helped answer questions about transferring her husband\u2019s military benefits and balancing school with home life as a <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/military\/spouses.htm?utm_source=ecampus-news&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=liberal-studies-military&amp;utm_content=20181113\">military spouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe military resources here at Oregon State were wonderful,\u201d she says. \u201cEvery question I had, every phone call I made, every email I sent was returned to me; and it was kind, knowledgeable and informational.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In her classes \u2013 just as Oregon State\u2019s on-campus students do \u2013 Janine practiced speaking with her conversational partners for foreign language courses, communicated with her instructors, experienced hands-on learning through lab kits and took (virtual) field trips around Oregon that helped her feel connected to the university\u2019s physical location.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing was far away,\u201d she says. \u201cI was always afraid that I would just be a number as an Ecampus student. I feel like the instructors here, they know who I am, and it&#8217;s because I was able to engage with them as often as I did.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>Janine Romero didn\u2019t settle until she found the perfect degree online: a military-friendly university that offered a rigorous and well-rounded education to fulfill her interest in both the humanities and the sciences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[75,77,120],"class_list":["post-1072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-college-of-liberal-arts","tag-liberal-studies","tag-military"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Janine-Romero-liberal-studies.jpg?fit=744%2C428&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-hi","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1099,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-student-instructor-interaction\/","url_meta":{"origin":1072,"position":0},"title":"Despite distance, online learners build lasting connections","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"January 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University\u2019s online learners do what many say can\u2019t be done: form genuine connections in the digital classroom. Ecampus alumni from the Class of 2018 shared how their interactions with peers and instructors went far beyond the computer screen, providing the opportunity to polish their communication skills and collaborate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Oregon State Ecampus liberal studies alumna Janine Romero stands on a balcony speaking to her husband, Lee. Janine is one of several Ecampus alumni who shared about the process of building a network and communication skills while earning an Oregon State degree online.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/IMG_0584.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/IMG_0584.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/IMG_0584.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/IMG_0584.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/IMG_0584.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1199,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/experiential-learning-at-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":1072,"position":1},"title":"Experiential opportunities transform learning for Oregon State\u2019s online students","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"May 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University Ecampus students don\u2019t just learn their course material \u2014 they live it. Through experiential learning opportunities such as field trips, internships, research and study abroad, online students connect with people and places that enhance their learning and career prospects.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-University-experiential-learning.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-University-experiential-learning.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-University-experiential-learning.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-University-experiential-learning.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-University-experiential-learning.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1939,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/learning-analytics-research-study\/","url_meta":{"origin":1072,"position":2},"title":"Perspectives, perceptions and privacy: Voices in higher education learner data","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"February 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Interdisciplinary research team organized by Oregon State Ecampus explores learning analytics from a systems perspective Institutions of higher education are perpetually collecting data about their students and faculty. How that data is collected and analyzed varies widely, but one thing is certain according to industry experts at EDUCAUSE: The use\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Oregon State Ecampus liberal studies alumna Janine Romero stands on a balcony speaking to her husband, Lee. Janine is one of several Ecampus alumni who shared about the process of building a network and communication skills while earning an Oregon State degree online.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-Analytics-Report-Janine-Romero-1200x628-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-Analytics-Report-Janine-Romero-1200x628-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-Analytics-Report-Janine-Romero-1200x628-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-Analytics-Report-Janine-Romero-1200x628-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/P05001-ECRU-Learning-Analytics-Report-Janine-Romero-1200x628-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":529,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/jerry-kight\/","url_meta":{"origin":1072,"position":3},"title":"As long as you have the will, it\u2019s never too late to find your way to a degree.","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"July 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University's oldest graduate, 74-year-old Jerry Kight, earned his degree in liberal studies online through Oregon State Ecampus. \u201cI\u2019m proud of myself and my wife for helping me do this and encouraging me to do it, and my kids, also,\u201d Jerry says.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Oregon State's oldest 2017 graduate, Jerry Kight, poses with Benny the Beaver on graduation day.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jerry-and-Benny.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jerry-and-Benny.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Jerry-and-Benny.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1090,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/religious-studies-online-degree-oregon-state\/","url_meta":{"origin":1072,"position":4},"title":"Religious studies online program puts Oregon State in rare company","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"December 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Someone who wants to earn a religious studies degree online doesn\u2019t have many options when it comes to programs that focus on the academic study of world religions. Thanks to Oregon State University, students not only have a new option to consider, but they can also do it while enrolled\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Buddhist temple, part of the focus of Oregon State's religious studies online degree program.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/religious-studies-online-degree.jpg?fit=774%2C333&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/religious-studies-online-degree.jpg?fit=774%2C333&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/religious-studies-online-degree.jpg?fit=774%2C333&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/religious-studies-online-degree.jpg?fit=774%2C333&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1386,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-german-degree-hope-nelson\/","url_meta":{"origin":1072,"position":5},"title":"Online German degree opens the world for OSU Ecampus alum","author":"Becky Barrett","date":"May 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"People used to ask Hope Nelson how she learned to speak German. Hope says her answer didn\u2019t seem adequate. She taught herself using textbooks and audio tools in high school before living in Germany for a year as an exchange student. But now she is proud to have a German\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hope Nelson sits on a concrete bench with a computer on her lap outside the Oregon State Valley Library. She earned an online German degree from OSU.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hope-nelson-online-german-degree.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hope-nelson-online-german-degree.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hope-nelson-online-german-degree.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hope-nelson-online-german-degree.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}