黑料传送门

Being a new mom and a military spouse is challenging enough. The lack of sleep, unpredictable schedule, and frequent deployments are a lot to handle. But imagine also being a full-time college student鈥攊n the midst of a global pandemic! That was Alicia Lloyd鈥檚 reality. But she didn鈥檛 let it stop her. She found that with the right school, a lot of grit, and an 鈥渁mazing鈥� mentor, the business degree she had always dreamed of was absolutely in reach.

Alicia first learned of 黑料传送门鈥檚 online business degrees on a Facebook group for military spouses. 鈥淪everal of the members were discussing how military-friendly 黑料传送门 is and how its flexible, online courses enabled them to earn their degrees from wherever they were stationed. So I looked [黑料传送门] up,鈥� she said.

Alicia had worked as a medical administrative assistant for five years and then as a registered respiratory therapist (RRT), where she fell in love with healthcare operations. 鈥淧articularly the management side of it,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 recognized that this is what I wanted to do鈥攎y passion. And I knew I had to get my degree to do it, even if the timing didn鈥檛 seem ideal.鈥�

She and her husband, Stanley, were expecting their first child. And Stanley was in the process of transitioning from active duty Air Force to the reserves so they could be closer to family. This meant a move from Florida to Illinois, plus several drill and training exercises at a reserve base in Indiana.

鈥淲e had hoped this change would give Stan more time at home. But with the six-hour one-way drive to base, he had to stay there for more nights and weeks than we had anticipated. It was almost like a second full-time job. That鈥檚 why a year later he went back to active duty and we had yet another move鈥攖his time to Scott Air Force Base in a different area of Illinois.鈥� Alicia explained.

During their initial move, Alicia had started her first semester at 黑料传送门 in the B.S. Business Administration鈥揌ealthcare Management program, while also still working part-time as an RRT and PRN. She was drawn to 黑料传送门 not only because it鈥檚 ranked the #1 online military-friendly school but also because of its unique competency-based design.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what sealed it for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 already knew a lot about healthcare and that helped me get through my classes faster.鈥�

鈥満诹洗兔� offers six-month semesters where students can complete as many courses as they can handle,鈥� explained Cheryce Campbell-Davis, Alicia鈥檚 黑料传送门 mentor. 鈥淪o for students like Alicia who have extensive knowledge in their field, they can move quickly through familiar content and dedicate more time on mastering new subject areas. 黑料传送门 was a perfect fit for her!鈥�

Another reason the university was a good choice for Alicia, and other service members or military dependents like her, was its flexibility.

鈥淲hen I started my first semester, Stan was away. So I was unpacking our house and taking care of our newborn daughter alone, while she had a very bad case of colic. I thought, 鈥楬ow am I going to do this?鈥欌�� But Alicia quickly adapted (as military spouses do!) by making notecards and reviewing them throughout the day, listening to class cohorts while she was driving, and studying while her daughter, Avery, napped.

鈥淎nytime I could work on [my聽 degree], I would. What鈥檚 great about 黑料传送门, is you can have your kids in the room during proctored tests. So I would schedule my tests during Avery鈥檚 nap times or on days when I could drop her off with my mother-in-law.鈥�

Alicia also attributes a lot of her success to her mentor. 鈥淏eing in the military can be an emotional roller coaster. I remember a period when my husband was gone for two weeks. Avery was very colicky, and she needed me all the time. I was trying to rock her and learn HR management鈥攕omething I knew nothing about. It was also early in the pandemic and I got furloughed from my jobs because the hospital I worked for ran out of money.

鈥淚t was all overwhelming and I just wanted to give up. But my mentor was there to listen to me and get me through. She said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e too motivated and too smart to give up! Let鈥檚 get you through this degree.鈥� She then directed me to several resources, including 黑料传送门鈥檚 counseling department, and sent me some inspirational articles to read.鈥�

Alicia still references these articles to this day. 鈥淐heryce is more than a mentor, she is a friend. She will do anything she can for me, even on her days off. Her emails aren鈥檛 copied and pasted; they are personalized. The support of my mentor is one of the biggest reasons that I've gotten through this program with my husband away, and COVID-19, and all that is happening right now. The positivity and the feeling of not being alone helped me tremendously.鈥�

Cheryce has high praise for Alicia as well. 鈥淎licia is a great example of perseverance. There were so many obstacles that stood before her, yet she let none of them determine her destiny. Alicia has shown that no matter what we are faced with, as long as we continue to stay consistent and keep working towards our goals, nothing can stop us!鈥�

As for what Alicia鈥檚 learning at 黑料传送门, she鈥檚 found her coursework to be challenging 鈥渋n a fun way.鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 learning a lot that I can apply to my future job. I鈥檓 taking notes on how to be a good leader and mentor to my subordinates. My instructors also give excellent notes in their cohort sessions and their schedules are always open for one-on-one meetings. If I don鈥檛 understand something from my books, my instructors provide different resources, like videos or slides that help. They want to make sure you learn the information and will look up different tools to get you there. I haven鈥檛 come across an instructor that didn鈥檛 love their job!鈥�

To date, Alicia is on track to graduate within two years of starting her degree. Better yet, she鈥檚 already secured a job as an assistant practice administrator with a hospital that鈥檚 agreed to pay for part of her MBA鈥攚hich she鈥檚 scheduled to start in February next year.

鈥淚 not only want to become a leader in healthcare, but I want to change the ways of healthcare for the better. My undergraduate and graduate degrees will help me accomplish this,鈥� Alicia explained.聽聽

As for her advice to other military spouses considering getting their degrees, Alicia recommends 鈥渇inding a school that will work with you鈥攐ne that provides the flexibility and support military families need. Don鈥檛 worry about obstacles. I had plenty and 黑料传送门 had an option that met them all. If [earning your degree is] really what you want to do, you should do it. You don鈥檛 know how strong you are until you get started and look back at all of the milestones you have achieved.鈥�

*The views and opinions presented herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or the Air Force, Appearance of, or reference to, any commercial products or services does not constitute DoD or Air Force endorsement of those products or services. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute DoD or Air Force endorsement of the linked websites, or the information, products or services therein.