{"id":989,"date":"2018-08-24T14:53:17","date_gmt":"2018-08-24T21:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=989"},"modified":"2024-04-02T14:14:12","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T21:14:12","slug":"maria-carpenter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/maria-carpenter\/","title":{"rendered":"With a dream at close range, no obstacle is too great"},"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\/-P6NbXBE-cs?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\">Her dream was a career in rangeland management, and she was ready to go above and beyond to get herself there \u2013 so Maria enrolled online at a university that would do the same.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>By Julie Cooper<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Maria Carpenter envisioned what she wanted her future to look like and didn\u2019t take a backward glance until she made that vision a reality \u2013 no matter what obstacles stood in her way.<\/p>\n<p>The key to that future was a <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/ag\/\">bachelor\u2019s degree in agricultural sciences<\/a>. But the basics wouldn\u2019t cut it; she needed a program that would provide the field-based skills she needed to get ahead on the path to her dream career in rangeland management.<\/p>\n<p>So when choosing between three schools, the top-ranked education delivered online by Oregon State Ecampus was the clear choice for her.<\/p>\n<p>Then an unforeseen obstacle threatened to slow her progress toward the future she\u2019d planned.<\/p>\n<p>Like many Ecampus students, Maria juggled a packed schedule as a full-time student, working professional and parent. But when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she faced a struggle all her own.<\/p>\n<p>Her indispensable support systems at home and at school provided the encouragement she needed to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wasn\u2019t able to participate as I had planned,\u201d Maria says. \u201cInstead of feeling defeated, the Ecampus staff called me regularly \u2013 they were so helpful with being able to keep me going, working with me to reduce my credits and motivate me. It allowed me to go through treatments and surgeries and persist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She worked frequently with her Ecampus advisors, Dawn Moyer and Melissa Millhollin, to adjust her course schedule and check in to stay on top of important deadlines.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"smartquote\">&ldquo;<\/span>Earning my degree means that I accomplished something far bigger than myself and it gives me a sense of pride that I didn\u2019t even know existed.<span class=\"smartquote\">&rdquo;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Her determination and strong connections with her advisors brought her to the finish line in June. She traveled from her home in Mather, California, to Oregon State\u2019s Corvallis campus to receive her diploma and meet her advisors, peers and faculty face to face.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-994 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Maria-body.jpg?resize=250%2C250&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Maria Carpenter at Oregon State's Corvallis campus celebrating her graduation with her three kids smiling by her side. Maria wears her cap and gown, a yellow stole and holds a bouquet of flowers wrapped in pink paper.\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cEarning my degree means that I accomplished something far bigger than myself and it gives me a sense of pride that I didn\u2019t even know existed,\u201d says Maria, who is now healthy and well. \u201cI was able to show my three children how to persevere, succeed and never give up. It means that I was stronger than I believed and that I am capable of accomplishing any goal I set for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her Oregon State education paid off with more than a degree. Even before graduating, Maria had begun to make moves toward her career.<\/p>\n<p>She received a summer internship with the Department of the Interior\u2019s Bureau of Indian Affairs. Maria\u2019s advisors assisted her through the application process, answered any questions she had and helped instill confidence in her ability to thrive in the internship while enrolled in summer classes.<\/p>\n<p>She simultaneously earned credits toward her degree and strengthened her professional skills. After graduating, she was placed in a full-time position with the BIA as a rangeland management specialist. She also earned a pay increase as a result of her membership in Oregon State\u2019s chapter of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/services\/student-services\/alpha-sigma-lambda.htm\">Alpha Sigma Lambda collegiate honor society<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Maria is an enrolled Alaskan Native tribal member from the Native Village of Unga. In her current role, she enjoys working with Native American communities across California to monitor land-use permits and leases, conduct soil and range inventories and compliance site visits, network with other agencies to leverage funding, and provide various other services that maintain the health of rangeland environments throughout the state.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing able to go into a job and have that knowledge base and hands-on experience already was perfect. It really set me up for success,\u201d Maria says.<\/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\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>No obstacle could stand in the way as Maria Carpenter pursued her agricultural sciences degree \u2013 not her additional responsibilities as a parent and employee, nor a breast cancer diagnosis that came shortly after beginning her degree program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":990,"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":[101,374,638,470],"class_list":["post-989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-agricultural-sciences","tag-college-of-agricultural-sciences","tag-conservation-and-natural-sciences","tag-tribal-communities"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/maria-carpenter-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-fX","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2557,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/explore-3-online-degrees-focused-on-animal-science-and-conservation\/","url_meta":{"origin":989,"position":0},"title":"Which online animal science or conservation degree should I choose?","author":"Elena Moffet","date":"November 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State offers several bachelor's programs in conservation and animal sciences that you can earn online. Learn what makes each unique and the different skills you'll gain.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A grey heron stands in shallow water with a captured fish in its beak, reflected on the water\u2019s surface.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":104,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/yvette-gibson\/","url_meta":{"origin":989,"position":1},"title":"Behind the scenes with Yvette Gibson, rangeland sciences instructor","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"July 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"They say you can\u2019t have your cake and eat it too, but Yvette Gibson has ignored that expression for years. She\u2019s simultaneously \u201cloquacious and a complete introvert.\u201d She has a steady job but is not bound by time or place. And she also has the unique ability to give advice\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Faculty &amp; Program Spotlights&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Faculty &amp; Program Spotlights","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/ecampus\/students\/faculty-and-programs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Yvette Gibson uses binoculars to look on over a herd of cattle on range land.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Copy-of-DSC_098091.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Copy-of-DSC_098091.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Copy-of-DSC_098091.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Copy-of-DSC_098091.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2555,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/study-plant-or-agricultural-sciences-online-at-oregon-state\/","url_meta":{"origin":989,"position":2},"title":"Which online plant or agricultural science degree should I choose?","author":"Elena Moffet","date":"June 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Explore the different plant sciences degrees offered online by Oregon State and learn more about the skills you can gain from each.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young cucumbers growing on a vine with vibrant yellow flowers and large green leaves in the background.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Plant-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Plant-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Plant-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Plant-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":993,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/velda-hendricks\/","url_meta":{"origin":989,"position":3},"title":"Reshaping the perspective of agriculture \u2013 one community at a time","author":"Karina Ruiz Lopez","date":"August 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Velda Hendricks has her sights set high: She wants to become the first female commissioner of agriculture in the U.S. Virgin Islands. And she\u2019s not giving up until she achieves her dream.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Velda-2.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Velda-2.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Velda-2.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Velda-2.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1148,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/interactive-learning-online-degrees\/","url_meta":{"origin":989,"position":4},"title":"Oregon State\u2019s online students take education into their own hands through interactive learning activities","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"March 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University students are eager for an education that moves their ideas from concept to action. Online learners are no exception, and through interactive learning opportunities across Oregon State Ecampus degree programs, they\u2019re able to apply their learning right where they live and study.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A close-up of a person's hands as they demonstrate an interactive learning activity in which they measure rocks and soil clumps with a measuring tape. The samples are part of a lab kit sent to students enrolled online in Soil Morphology and Classification.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Interactive-activities-lab-kit.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Interactive-activities-lab-kit.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Interactive-activities-lab-kit.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Interactive-activities-lab-kit.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1032,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/jordan-levi-fisheries-wildlife-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":989,"position":5},"title":"Experiential learning led to flourishing career prospects for fisheries, wildlife and conservation sciences alumna","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"October 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"New textbooks, classmates from all over the world, the cover of the forest, calls from birds unseen, the fresh smell of soil (and sometimes fish). These are all the well-known staples of a college classroom. At least, that\u2019s what Jordan Levi came to expect of her learning environments while enrolled\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 alumna Jordan walks outdoors and carries a tablet in the bend of her left arm.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jordan-levi-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jordan-levi-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jordan-levi-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/jordan-levi-main.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989","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=989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}