{"id":689,"date":"2017-12-12T22:04:57","date_gmt":"2017-12-13T06:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=689"},"modified":"2025-02-04T14:22:33","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T22:22:33","slug":"diaz-family-stater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/diaz-family-stater\/","title":{"rendered":"On the right track: Hard work and online learning with OSU Ecampus help this family to a better life"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 638;\">\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\/Yk7ETraGQNc?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<p class=\"wp-caption-text\" style=\"margin-top: -15px;\">The work ethic Albert Diaz acquired in the Navy has helped him succeed in Oregon State&#8217;s rigorous online computer science program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"editor-note\"><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:<\/strong> Albert Diaz completed his degree requirements online and graduated from Oregon State University in 2018.<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s a weeknight in the winter of 2014, and Albert Diaz is riding the train home from his job at Tesla Motors in the Bay Area. Albert works as a manufacturing equipment engineer on the luxury electric cars that are placing Tesla in the same stratosphere as Silicon Valley titans Apple and Google when it comes to innovation.<\/p>\n<p>The commute home to his wife and their young children in the city of Manteca will take 90 minutes, but Albert knows how to fill the time. His automation work for Tesla recently spawned his interest in computer programming. Working on the cars of the future can have that effect on people.<\/p>\n<p>To satisfy his desire for programming knowledge, he opens his laptop and navigates to his coursework as an OSU computer science student. His classroom is not at the Kelley Engineering Center on OSU\u2019s Corvallis campus. It\u2019s his seat on this train, speeding through the dark of night, where he settles in to work on a class project related to operating systems.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_694\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-210 alignright\" style=\"width: 210px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-694 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/diaz-samantha-solo.jpg?resize=210%2C315&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Samantha Diaz, OSU Ecampus graduate, plays with her youngest child outside her California home.\" width=\"210\" height=\"315\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Samantha Diaz earned her psychology degree online with Ecampus in 2016. (Photos by Antonio Becerra)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Once Albert gets home and the kids are asleep down the hall, he\u2019ll study alongside the only Oregon State student he has met face-to-face: his wife, Samantha, a psychology major. She was the first in the family to enroll with Oregon State Ecampus, the university\u2019s nationally-ranked online education division. They have never set foot on the Oregon State campus.<\/p>\n<p>They both decided to apply to OSU \u2014 and become a full-fledged Beaver Nation family \u2014 thanks to a Google search that yielded results favorable to OSU.<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward three years to the present, and Albert and Samantha Diaz are fitting examples of the benefits of the university\u2019s wildly successful distance education efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Be it under one roof or throughout the world, they and thousands of adult learners like them are continuing Oregon State\u2019s land-grant legacy of learning and service.<\/p>\n<h3>Life at full speed, with OSU in tow<\/h3>\n<p>When Samantha and Albert were married in 2008, their lives were, in a sense, simple: one new marriage, one West Coast home, no children. Things changed rapidly thanks in part to Albert\u2019s service in the Navy. The family moved across the country twice, welcomed Gabriel, Kamryn and Isaiah, and, later, transitioned out of military life.<\/p>\n<p>Somewhere amid all these life-altering events, the couple decided to add another one by enrolling online with Ecampus.<\/p>\n<p>If it seems like a lot for one family to juggle, it was. But Ecampus is built to help busy people succeed. While managing her duties as a mom and student, Samantha also worked in service to others, helping teach students with special needs in preschool and middle school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI chose to work because I felt like I needed something for myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to show my kids that even though I\u2019m a mom I can still go to school and I can still work hard for what I want.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_696\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-350 alignright\" style=\"width: 350px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-696\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/diaz-family-main-4.jpg?w=350&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The Diaz family: parents and OSU Ecampus students Albert and Samantha with their three children.\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/diaz-family-main-4.jpg?w=638&amp;ssl=1 638w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/diaz-family-main-4.jpg?resize=320%2C294&amp;ssl=1 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Diaz family takes a walk, with youngest son Isaiah practicing his piloting as his big brother and sister, Gabriel and Kamryn, his parents\u00a0keep a careful watch outside their California home.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Samantha\u2019s do-it-all approach was part of what inspired Albert to enroll in <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/computer-science-postbacc\/\">OSU\u2019s online postbaccalaureate computer science program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think he would admit this, but I think that he saw me going to school and working and being a mother, and I think that he knows that if I can do it, he can do it,\u201d said Samantha, who plans to pursue a teaching credential in special education and later a master\u2019s degree. \u201cAnd we made a promise that we would always support each other no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Finding support from a global network<\/h3>\n<p>That element of encouragement has fortified Albert on all sides throughout his studies. The Ecampus computer science program is known for its rigor, with a note to prospective students on the program website that states \u201cyou must be resilient\u201d to succeed.<\/p>\n<p>Six years as a nuclear mechanic in the Navy helped Albert acquire the requisite grit and work ethic. And whenever he has needed a boost \u2014 while riding the train or late at night on the weekends \u2014 he has found ample support.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe instructors are really involved and care about our education, and when they\u2019re willing to put in the work, it helps me want to put in the work,\u201d said Albert, who is now a radiological analyst at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a premier science and technology lab.<\/p>\n<p>As for the notion that online learning has to be an isolated experience? That\u2019s a foreign concept at Oregon State, which has earned national acclaim for the level of student engagement it fosters.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_693\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-210 alignright\" style=\"width: 210px\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.journalgraphicsdigitalpublications.com\/epubs\/OSUALUMNIASSOCIATIONINC\/OregonStaterWinter2018\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-693 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/diaz-cover.jpg?resize=210%2C272&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The cover of the Oregon Stater's winter 2018 issue features Ecampus computer science grad Albert Diaz and his daughter Kamryn, who is sitting on his shoulders.\" width=\"210\" height=\"272\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">This article originally appeared as the cover story in the <a href=\"https:\/\/oregondigital.org\/concern\/documents\/fx71ck04p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">winter 2018 issue of the Oregon Stater<\/a> alumni magazine.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a friendly community,\u201d Albert said, describing vibrant discussions with a worldwide network of classmates that are hosted within the online classroom and other web-based platforms. \u201cIt\u2019s easy for us to connect and make friends, to reach out to each other, even to motivate each other to push forward and finish the program.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Delivering on a mission to serve<\/h3>\n<p>Albert and Samantha made their first trip to the Oregon State campus in June 2016 for Samantha to walk in the spring commencement ceremony, all while six months pregnant with their third child. True to their Filipino heritage, celebrating the accomplishment alone wasn\u2019t an option, so they brought family from both sides with them to Corvallis.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ll likely head back to campus this coming spring. Albert is expected to finish his computer science degree requirements in 2018 and add another OSU diploma to the family mantel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has been a privilege to follow the accomplishments of Samantha and Albert the past several years. We\u2019re proud to serve students like them,\u201d said Lisa L. Templeton, vice provost of OSU\u2019s Division of Educational Ventures. \u201cEverything we do is designed to increase access to an Oregon State education so learners can improve their families\u2019 lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Educational outreach has been Oregon State\u2019s mission since 1868. Delivery methods may have evolved with time, but nearly 150 years later, the train is still speeding down the tracks.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Your future is out there. Count us in.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rfi-button\" class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/contact\/form\">Learn more today.<\/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\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>When Albert Diaz gets home and his kids are asleep, he\u2019ll study alongside the only Oregon State student he has met face-to-face: his wife, Samantha, a psychology major. She was the first in the family to enroll with OSU Ecampus. They have never set foot on the Oregon State campus. They both decided to apply to OSU \u2014 and become a full-fledged Beaver Nation family \u2014 thanks to a Google search. The Diaz family is a fitting example of the benefits of the university\u2019s wildly successful distance education efforts. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":713,"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":[160,20,120,40,96],"class_list":["post-689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-college-of-engineering","tag-computer-science","tag-military","tag-military-students","tag-psychology"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Albert-Diaz.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-b7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":624,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/getting-a-degree-while-in-the-military\/","url_meta":{"origin":689,"position":0},"title":"Getting a degree while in the military: What you need to know","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"November 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Six years in the Navy gave Albert Diaz a lifetime of experiences and knowledge. When he decided to pursue his degree online, he wanted more of the same. Here\u2019s his advice for military personnel who are thinking about learning online.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A smiling man leans on a kitchen counter with a textbook and notepad while talking to his wife in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/albert-diaz-military-student.jpg?fit=800%2C449&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/albert-diaz-military-student.jpg?fit=800%2C449&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/albert-diaz-military-student.jpg?fit=800%2C449&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/albert-diaz-military-student.jpg?fit=800%2C449&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1615,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/value-college-degree\/","url_meta":{"origin":689,"position":1},"title":"How earning a degree impacts career earnings and value","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"April 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Earning a bachelor\u2019s degree is a badge of honor. And it\u2019s a game-changer in the job market. By earning your bachelor\u2019s degree, you could earn as much as $1 million more than someone with a high school diploma over the course of a career.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advancing Your Career&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advancing Your Career","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/learning-experience\/advancing-your-career\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A bar chart showing the financial benefits of a college degree, based on April 2026 median yearly full-time earnings and educational attainment according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figures are $50,804 for high school diploma with no college; $59,176 for associate's degree or some college; $83,668 for bachelor's degree; and $103,064 for master's degree and higher.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/financial-benefits-of-a-degree-infographic-260421-v13.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/financial-benefits-of-a-degree-infographic-260421-v13.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/financial-benefits-of-a-degree-infographic-260421-v13.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/financial-benefits-of-a-degree-infographic-260421-v13.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":222,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/samantha-diaz\/","url_meta":{"origin":689,"position":2},"title":"Bringing out the best in others","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"August 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"When Samantha Diaz enrolled online with Oregon State Ecampus, she was a new mom with a job and a husband in the military. Over the years, her family added two more children and moved across the country twice. Through all of life\u2019s twists, she thrived as a distance student and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Samantha Diaz and husband Albert Diaz walk together. Each holds the hand of one of their children, who walk along a wide, waist-high ledge.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Samantha-Diaz-Main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Samantha-Diaz-Main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Samantha-Diaz-Main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1776,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/2021-graduation-preview\/","url_meta":{"origin":689,"position":3},"title":"To the Oregon State Ecampus Class of 2021, your time has come","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"June 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"June 2021 is the month you officially become a college graduate, the one in which you\u2019ll put a celebratory bow on all of your hard work and perseverance. You\u2019re primed to enter a community of thousands of Oregon State Ecampus graduates who are out there, changing the world.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A large black sign surrounded by red brick that reads \"Oregon State University\" in white lettering.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Sign-from-head-on.jpeg?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Sign-from-head-on.jpeg?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Sign-from-head-on.jpeg?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Sign-from-head-on.jpeg?fit=1024%2C512&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2830,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/collaboration-lawrence-livermore-national-laboratory\/","url_meta":{"origin":689,"position":4},"title":"Collaboration with Oregon State gives Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employees scholarships to learn online, gain skills","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"July 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have launched a new collaboration that gives the research and development center\u2019s nearly 10,000 employees expanded access to high-quality and more affordable learning opportunities online.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A woman in a lab coat, safety goggles and purple gloves uses a wash bottle in a laboratory with chemical containers visible in the background.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heather-Bell-800x540-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heather-Bell-800x540-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heather-Bell-800x540-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heather-Bell-800x540-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Heather-Bell-800x540-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1100,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/oregon-state-online-top-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":689,"position":5},"title":"Oregon State online bachelor&#8217;s programs ranked 3rd in the nation by U.S. News","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"January 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University\u2019s place among the nation\u2019s best providers of online education has inched closer to the pinnacle amid the release of new rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The 2019 report features Oregon State Ecampus at No. 3 among nearly 400 institutions in the category of Best Online\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Valley Library on Oregon State University's Corvallis Campus is home to Oregon State Ecampus, a leader in online learning. 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