{"id":2817,"date":"2025-02-21T10:22:43","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T18:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=2817"},"modified":"2025-06-25T08:19:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T15:19:48","slug":"making-a-difference-katherine-jaeger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/making-a-difference-katherine-jaeger\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding belonging and making a difference: My experience on the Ecampus Student Advisory Board"},"content":{"rendered":"

Online learner finds connection, purpose and a powerful way to elevate the voices of Oregon State students around the world<\/h2>\n

When I first enrolled online with Oregon State University, I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect in terms of connection and community. As a fully online student living in Texas, it was easy to feel like a distant observer rather than an active participant in the university experience. That changed when I joined the OSU Ecampus Student Advisory Board<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Being part of the SAB has been one of the most meaningful and empowering experiences of my time at Oregon State. It gave me the opportunity to connect with other online learners across time zones and backgrounds, all of us united by a shared desire to improve the student experience for Ecampus students \u2014 no matter where we are in the world.<\/p>\n

A place to belong\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the most unexpected gifts of serving on the board was the sense of belonging it created. It\u2019s easy to assume that community is something that can only happen on campus, in dorms, or in lecture halls \u2014 but our virtual meetings proved otherwise.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>Serving on the advisory board gave me the chance to help shape policies and improvements that don\u2019t just benefit me, but OSU students around the world.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We shared our challenges, celebrated our milestones, and supported each other as students navigating unique but parallel paths. That sense of camaraderie helped me feel more grounded, more included, and more connected to the OSU community as a whole.<\/p>\n

A platform for student voice\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The SAB isn\u2019t just a symbolic group \u2014 it\u2019s a space where student voices genuinely matter. We regularly meet with Ecampus leadership and staff to provide feedback on course design, student services, accessibility, and more. I\u2019ve seen firsthand how our insights lead to real changes that benefit students at every stage of their journey.<\/p>\n

From advocating for clearer communication in courses to helping brainstorm ways to increase engagement in online spaces, the board empowers us to speak up and be heard.<\/p>\n

A global impact<\/h3>\n

One of the most inspiring aspects of Ecampus is its reach: our classmates are logging in from every spot on the globe. Serving on the advisory board gave me the chance to help shape policies and improvements that don\u2019t just benefit me, but OSU students around the world.<\/p>\n

Whether someone is earning their degree from a small town in Oregon or a military base overseas, their experience matters \u2014 and I\u2019m proud to be part of a team that\u2019s working to make it better for everyone.<\/p>\n

Final thoughts\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you’re an Ecampus student who\u2019s looking for a way to get involved, build community, and leave a lasting impact, I wholeheartedly encourage you to consider joining the Ecampus Student Advisory Board. You don\u2019t have to be an expert or have all the answers \u2014 you just have to care about your fellow students and want to make a difference.<\/p>\n

For me, the SAB transformed Oregon State from just a school into a community. It showed me that even in a fully virtual environment, we can still show up for each other, advocate for meaningful change, and make our voices count.<\/p>\n

\n

Discover how Katherine and other members of the Ecampus Student Advisory Board impact the online student experience at Oregon State University, and read about eligibility and participation requirements.<\/em><\/p>\n

Learn about the Student Advisory Board<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 2<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>When I first enrolled online with Oregon State University, I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. As a fully online student in Texas, it was easy to feel like a distant observer rather than an active participant in the university experience. That changed when I joined the OSU Ecampus Student Advisory Board.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":2791,"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":[1,672,677,8],"tags":[160,20,595,698],"class_list":["post-2817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-learning-experience","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-college-of-engineering","tag-computer-science","tag-school-of-electrical-engineering-and-computer-science","tag-student-advisory-board-blog-series"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/In-their-words-Katherine-Jaeger-250602-v16.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-Jr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2797,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/5-tips-thriving-as-an-online-student\/","url_meta":{"origin":2817,"position":0},"title":"Thriving as an online student: 5 strategies to strengthen connection and belonging","author":"Ray La Point","date":"June 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Ray La Point, an Oregon State University Ecampus Student Advisory Board member, offers practical tips to help you \u2018feel more connected, supported and successful\u2019 while learning online with Oregon State.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A graphic that says Ecampus Student Advisory Board, In Their Words, with an inset circular photo of Oregon State University student Ray La Point.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/In-their-words-Ray-La-Point-250602-v12.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/In-their-words-Ray-La-Point-250602-v12.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/In-their-words-Ray-La-Point-250602-v12.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/In-their-words-Ray-La-Point-250602-v12.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2801,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/student-clubs-online-megan-mcdonald\/","url_meta":{"origin":2817,"position":1},"title":"Want to join a student club as an online learner? 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