{"id":1386,"date":"2020-05-04T09:00:32","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T16:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1386"},"modified":"2024-07-23T11:26:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T18:26:44","slug":"online-german-degree-hope-nelson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-german-degree-hope-nelson\/","title":{"rendered":"Online German degree opens the world for OSU Ecampus alum"},"content":{"rendered":"<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\/ci_82TijuiM?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<h2>U.S. Army veteran Hope Nelson stays true to her &#8216;roots&#8217; and passion<\/h2>\n<p>What\u2019s the next move for someone with degrees in Russian and international studies, a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, someone who has studied five languages and is starting a new career?<\/p>\n<p>For Hope Nelson, it was the right time to pursue another degree in her second-most proficient language, just so she could say that she had a German degree.<\/p>\n<p>People used to ask Hope 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.<\/p>\n<p>But now she is proud to have a <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/german\/\">German bachelor\u2019s degree<\/a> from Oregon State University Ecampus, one of the nation\u2019s top-ranked providers of online education, as proof.<\/p>\n<p>Hope\u2019s degree fits her life perfectly. She works in public affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs. But communication is an essential skill, no matter what field you are in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI firmly believe that communication is something anybody can use, whether they&#8217;re in public affairs or if they&#8217;re in engineering or mathematics or teaching,\u201d she says. \u201cOur career fields could take us internationally. We have to have that sensitivity to other cultures and the way people communicate. Learning German has just further enhanced that communication ability.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A desire to keep learning<\/h3>\n<p>Hope is originally from Texas. After her high school year abroad, she attended Texas A&amp;M University and participated in the Corps of Cadets, a paramilitary leadership organization. After graduating with her first two degrees in 2012, she served as a military police officer in the Army until 2016.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"smartquote\">&ldquo;<\/span>Engagement between peers, as well as my professors, was really important because you can\u2019t speak a language alone. &#8230; You\u2019re constantly helping each other and building each other up.<span class=\"smartquote\">&rdquo;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As she was preparing to leave the Army, Hope wanted to continue her education. Although she already spoke German, studying it at the university level would give her life added structure as she transitioned from military to civilian life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really just wanted to further my knowledge in German,\u201d she says. \u201cI started looking into it, and a military academic advisor said that Oregon State was the one with the most robust online German degree program. I looked up a bunch of other places, and Oregon State just shone as the best option for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hope started the degree program before she left the Army and continued her coursework, one class at a time, as she began a new full-time career.<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-caption\">\n<div><a class=\"fancybox-media playbox thumbnail-video\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/CXXsALPA9p4\" rel=\"media-gallery\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hope-nelson-army-veteran.jpg?resize=320%2C213&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hope Nelson, Oregon State University Ecampus German graduate, standing in her graduation cap and gown.\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\" \/><span class=\"play-button-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/includes\/2012\/images\/play-button-dark.png\" alt=\"Play\" \/><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p>As she transitioned out of the Army and began pursuing an online German degree, Hope Nelson received start-to-finish support. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/CXXsALPA9p4\">Watch video \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Studying a language online is interesting, Hope says, because although there were many reading and writing activities, most of the skills are still verbal. She created video logs that gave her practice speaking new words. Before she recorded, she researched and practiced pronunciation so she could do it perfectly.<\/p>\n<p>Oregon State\u2019s online German degree program is infused with easy-to-use technology that allows both students and faculty to interact in a way that enhances language acquisition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEngagement between peers, as well as my professors, was really important because you can\u2019t speak a language alone,\u201d she says. \u201cSo it\u2019s nice to be able to engage with peers, even if they\u2019re in different time zones. You\u2019re constantly helping each other and building each other up.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Reshaping her worldview through language<\/h3>\n<p>Hope also learned to take initiative by studying online. She moved twice, from California to Kentucky, then from Kentucky to Pennsylvania. The <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/about\/welcome\/online-learning.htm\">flexible structure<\/a> of online classes allowed Hope to make big life changes without losing momentum.<\/p>\n<p>Hope graduated in June 2019. She and her husband, Ian, traveled to OSU\u2019s Corvallis campus so she could participate in the commencement ceremony and receive her diploma in person.<\/p>\n<p>Now she\u2019s encouraging others to learn a new language because of how it reshapes your worldview.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt broadens your knowledge of your own language, your own culture and your own communication styles,\u201d she says, \u201cbut it opens your world literally to more of what\u2019s out there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You could say that learning a new language is easy for Hope, the same way it\u2019s easy for most people to learn lyrics to a favorite song.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll you need to do is hear it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>And now when people ask her where she learned German, she has a diploma to be proud of too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Discover more about learning online with nationally ranked Oregon State Ecampus.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rfi-button\" class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/contact\/form\/\">Request information<\/a><\/h3>\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\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>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 bachelor\u2019s degree from Oregon State University Ecampus as proof.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":1387,"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":[1,6,7,16,3,677,8],"tags":[104,641,120,40,208],"class_list":["post-1386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-graduation","category-military","category-features","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-german","tag-languages-and-liberal-arts","tag-military","tag-military-students","tag-u-s-army"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/hope-nelson-online-german-degree.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-mm","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1227,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/military-student-online-taniah-johnson\/","url_meta":{"origin":1386,"position":0},"title":"With her diploma in hand, military veteran puts self-doubt to rest","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"August 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Taniah Johnson didn\u2019t think she was smart enough for college. Just the thought of applying to learn online with Oregon State University Ecampus intimidated her. But she had something to prove \u2013 to herself and everyone else. Now she\u2019s an Oregon State graduate, active duty in the U.S. Air Force\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Taniah Johnson, a human development family sciences graduate of Oregon State University Ecampus","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/taniah-johnson-human-development-family-sciences.jpg?fit=500%2C494&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":442,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/military-students\/","url_meta":{"origin":1386,"position":1},"title":"After the Army, Ecampus student focused on doing what he loves","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"November 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"There was a pit in Bryan Zacher\u2019s stomach as his 22-year Army career came to a close in 2013. He hadn\u2019t put much thought into life after the military, so he jotted down a list of his hobbies: Fishing. Hunting. The great outdoors. Then he had an idea that changed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fisheries and wildlife sciences alumnus Bryan Zacher stands in front of a lake's boat ramp with his boat on a trailer.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Bryan-Zacher-FW-thumbnail.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Bryan-Zacher-FW-thumbnail.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Bryan-Zacher-FW-thumbnail.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Bryan-Zacher-FW-thumbnail.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Bryan-Zacher-FW-thumbnail.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1239,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-language-degree-for-career\/","url_meta":{"origin":1386,"position":2},"title":"Earn a language degree online from top-ranked Oregon State Ecampus, expand your career","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"August 6, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Learn a new language and enhance your global awareness and intercultural skills by taking online language courses from Oregon State University - and set yourself up for career advancement.","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 language","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Language.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Language.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Language.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Language.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1649,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-economics-hope-sims\/","url_meta":{"origin":1386,"position":3},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: Developing passions, adding skills for the future","author":"Hope Sims","date":"December 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"The courses that I\u2019ve taken have helped me expand my education in economics and further develop my passions for sustainability. With the online education, I\u2019ve been able to work toward my goals as a sustainability ambassador.\" \u2014 Hope Sims, OSU economics major","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo of Hope Sims, Oregon State Ecampus online economics student","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hope-Sims-ECON-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hope-Sims-ECON-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hope-Sims-ECON-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Hope-Sims-ECON-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1789,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/military-veterans-advice-video\/","url_meta":{"origin":1386,"position":4},"title":"What\u2019s it like to learn online? 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