Student Experience

TUDEN

e c n e i r e Exp 2018

Here at Emporia State University, we’re proud of our history.

Since 1863, we’ve been serving higher education to students across the globe, developing a reputation of quality, rigor, and value along the way. With the evolution of technology, our programs adapted. What started as a one room schoolhouse has become a state-of-the-art institution that equips students to change the world for the better. The graduate school has remained cutting-edge, offering unique programs through a myriad of teaching methods and technologies. With growing online graduate enrollment, we’ve heard testimonies from students of all backgrounds whose experience with distance education at ESU was lifealtering. While the “brick and mortar” face-to-face classes remain an option for our students, this issue of Student Experience focuses on the impact online graduate education has had on just a few of our students.

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STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

Renewing Physical Education Being a first-year teacher in a failing school is difficult, to say the least. At the age of 22, Gaetano Antonacci experienced just that.

“Our school was deemed a renewal school by the New York City Department of Education. We had low test scores, poor student attendance and a high teacher turnover rate,” Antonacci said.

Originally from Lindenhurst, New York, Antonacci had a strong passion for athletics. He was a varsity athlete in high school, then pursued a degree in exercise science from Adelphi University, which soon changed to education. After graduation, Antonacci took a position as the physical education instructor in New York City, where he felt he could positively impact students and their ability to achieve their goals.

“Learning was not the priority when it came to physical education or health environment here,” Antonacci said. “It was my job to change that. Students needed higher expectations from their teacher and from themselves as well as a place where they could try something new and explore activities that might have been out of their comfort zones, which was essentially any activity outside of basketball or soccer.”

While this sort of environment may be ideal for discouraging an educator, Antonacci let it motivate him.

“It was not until I realized how much my students needed me and how much they truly deserved in my first year that my mindset changed. They needed me socially and emotionally, just as much, if not more than they needed me as a PE teacher. I instantly became more than just a teacher; I wanted to be a role model for my kids,” said Antonacci.

That desire led to an idea: graduate school. Through a simple online search, Antonacci found out about Emporia State’s Health, Physical Education, and Recreation online master’s program. As he continued his research, two of his friends applied and enrolled in graduate programs at Emporia State, and highly recommended the school to Antonacci.

“Once my mindset changed, I put my foot on the ground and applied for graduate school to further my education as well as benefit my students and haven’t looked back since,” he said.

From halfway across the nation, Antonacci enrolled in his first online HPER courses as the first step toward his graduate degree.

“My favorite part of learning through the distance college was how each assignment created by my professors provided me with something tangible I could bring into my classroom and use to benefit my students,” Antonacci said.

Although very applicable, the path was not an easy one.

“It’s not easy being a full-time teacher while attempting to obtain a master’s degree. The beauty that lies within that, however, is the opportunity to take what you learn daily and immediately implement it into your teacher practice,” he said. “The education at Emporia State challenged my thinking, pushed me to think outside the box and provided me with the tools to be great ...

I never felt as if I was ‘distant’ from my education.”

The hard work paid off. Within four years, Antonacci already has a growing list of accolades due to his knowledge and leadership. His school has been a recipient of the School Wellness Council Grant for three years. Antonacci was one of 15 teachers in New York City who piloted the Middle School Health Smart Sex Education Curriculum. And, in February 2018, he was one of eight health educators in the city selected to attend the Time to Thrive Conference in Orlando, Florida.

He has served as the dean of students, mentored fellow physical education teachers in the area, led and attended multiple professional learning opportunities and currently holds the title of a Model Teacher.

“Not many people have been able to have such valuable experiences in just four years, and I credit a lot of that to my education at Emporia State University,” Antonacci said.

“The education at Emporia State challenged my thinking, pushed me to think outside the box and provided me with the tools to be great ...

I never felt as if I was ‘distant’ from my education.”

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Photo Credit: Kholood Eid EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY 2

Finding

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

Her

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Niche

As a Ph.D. student at Cornell University, Lynne Stahl was immersed in research, studying and teaching. She enjoyed most components of the program, but the teaching aspect was not as rewarding as she had hoped, and she felt out of place as the leader in the classroom.

“I enjoyed working with students but felt uncomfortable performing the constant authority figure role that teaching required,” said Stahl.

“One summer, I participated in a digital humanities internship that the Cornell libraries were piloting and eventually realized that academic librarianship would enable me to continue with all of the things I loved about academia and fewer of the things I wasn’t partial to,” she said.

After completing her English degree at Cornell, Stahl moved to Portland, Oregon. She had ideas about pursuing librarianship, but also had reservations about the time and financial commitment. This would be a big step, especially following the intensity of the program she had just completed.

“After finishing my Ph.D., I moved out to Portland, Oregon, to take a gap year. I had gone straight through from B.A. to M.A. to Ph.D., so I wanted to be sure pursuing an Master of Library Science was really the right choice before diving in,” Stahl said.

Stahl researched her options in the Portland area and came across information about Emporia State’s master of library science degree and the School of Library and Information Management’s distance site in Portland. Originally from Lawrence, Kansas, Stahl was familiar with Emporia State University. In fact, she was quite surprised to learn of the site options for the MLS program.

“When I began researching programs and discovered that the only one in Portland was Emporia’s — and that Perri Parise, the program director, was herself a Cornell alum — it seemed pretty serendipitous,” she explained. “On top of that, I was drawn to the combined in-person/online learning aspect because I knew I would feel isolated in an exclusively online program. SLIM also has a big alumni network here in Portland that you’d be less likely to find with fully online programs.”

Everything aligned correctly, allowing Stahl to enroll in the program and begin her next steps toward an MLS degree.

Along with her coursework, Stahl has been able to maintain not one but two jobs as well. She works as a bilingual access services assistant for Multnomah County Library, as well as a graduate research assistant for Dr. Jinxuan (Jenny) Ma. “It’s been a challenge to balance two jobs with coursework, but it really helps that I’m excited about where it’s all hopefully heading,” Stahl said. “Online learning was an adjustment — the flexibility is great, but it also requires a lot of self-discipline and accountability to get done the work that needs to get done.”

So far, Stahl has enjoyed the cohort-style program and the network that comes with it.

“By far, my favorite part of my SLIM experience has been meeting my classmates and learning about their library and life experiences and the amazing things many of them are already doing,” she said.

As a current student, she has high hopes for the future with this team.

“I look forward to following them and, hopefully, staying in touch throughout their careers.”

“When I began researching programs and discovered that the only one in Portland was Emporia’s — and that Perri Parise, the program director, was herself a Cornell alum — it seemed pretty serendipitous,” she explained. “On top of that, I was drawn to the combined in-person/ online learning aspect because I knew I would feel isolated in an exclusively online program. SLIM also has a big alumni network here in Portland that you’d be less likely to find with fully online programs.”

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STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

“My graduate experience was very supportive and stimulating. When I reached out to instructors, especially my advisor, they were all very responsive. I found the William Allen White Library very accessible online. I enjoyed the access to all the peer-reviewed articles. My practicum/internship was at Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation, which eventually led to a permanent job.”

Born with a servant’s heart, Becky Buchanan has always desired to help people. As a supervisor of unemployment claims, Buchanan was doing so, but had limited interaction with individuals and the work felt unrewarding.

“My previous work involved supervising unemployment claims, and I did not work with unemployed people on an individual, meaningful basis. I was ready for a change to directly impact individuals in positive ways,” Buchanan said.

It was then that she decided to pursue a new goal: to work for Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation. A position at Nebraska VR would require a master’s degree, so graduate school was the next step.

“Nebraska VR has a fantastic reputation and I wanted to work there prior to pursuing my master’s degree,” Buchanan said.

“I found out about Emporia State via the internet. The RC48 program seemed very doable and integrated well with my employment. The RC48 program allowed graduates to receive a master’s degree as well as the certified rehabilitation counselor credential … I felt that ESU’s RC48 was a path to realize this goal.”

The master of science degree in rehabilitation counseling is unique as it is the only counseling program at Emporia State that can be completed online, which worked well for Buchanan.

“My graduate experience was very supportive and stimulating.

When I reached out to instructors, especially my advisor, they were all very responsive. I found the William Allen White Library very accessible online. I enjoyed the access to all the peer-reviewed articles. My practicum/internship was at Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation, which eventually led to a permanent job,” said Buchanan.

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In a record-breaking year and a half, Buchanan graduated with her degree.

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“Normally, it takes two and a half years. I committed myself to studying every Saturday and Sunday. Also, I was really interested in the material, so reading was not very difficult on weeknights.

My adviser, Dr. Damara Paris, was very flexible and helped me design my course schedule to efficiently meet my goal,” she said of the program that had all the components she was looking for.

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“I took some classes that were held over Zoom, so had faceto-face opportunities with other students and teachers. I am a pretty quick writer, so the assignments were compatible with my skills and interests. The Canvas system is very easy to organize priorities and due dates. As a working professional, I really appreciated the technological reminders.”

The quick turnaround on her degree was instantly gratifying, leading her directly into her dream position — one that not only helped her improve her life, but one that is exponentially helping others.

“Now that I work at Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation, I have the honor of helping people find meaningful employment while witnessing the results,” she said. “It is fantastic to see a VR client go from unskilled $10 per hour jobs to a stable career paying $20 per hour. Work is a major part of a person’s identity, and I feel my efforts make a significant difference in a person’s quality of life.”

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for Others EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY 6

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

Taking the

Next

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The Higher Learning Commission, an organization that accredits degree-granting postsecondary institutions, requires that community college instructors have at least 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline in which they teach.

Dawn Murphy, who currently teaches English at a high school, would like to teach dual credit courses to her students, which consequently led to a need for graduate credits.

“I knew I needed an online program since I teach full time. While looking at multiple institutions, Emporia State University stood out for its user-friendly and economically feasible program,” said Murphy, who has taught at Clay Center Community High School for 19 years and four elsewhere.

Through a unique route, Murphy became familiar with ESU’s graduate English program.

“In the summer of 2015, at the encouragement of other teachers in my department who had experience with it, I completed the Invitational Leadership Institute through the Flint Hills Writing Project, which is sponsored by ESU. It turned out to be an excellent decision,” said Murphy.

Following the experience, Murphy began looking at Emporia State’s website, checking out all pages related to the M.A. in English. Between the information she found there and the experience she had through the ILI, she decided that ESU was the place for her to take the next step.

“I felt like I got off to a great start taking a class with Dr. Kat O’Meara. She expected a lot of us but also supported us extremely well,” Murphy said. “In particular, I liked an assignment that required us to interview a writing program administrator from another university. I learned far more doing this hands-on experience than I would have just reading about a writing program administrator’s job requirements.”

The rigor was as expected, but the support offered made it less strenuous.

“I expected graduate school to be challenging, and it has been.

I feel like the professors I’ve taken classes with so far, however, have been knowledgeable while also being approachable and encouraging,” Murphy said. “In addition, the most important requirement of any professional development for me is that I can take elements back into my classroom to use with my students.

Without fail, I can say I’ve been able to do this with the classes I’ve taken.”

Murphy is still working on the degree and has taken a position on the leadership team for the FHWP. Although the English graduate program can be completed entirely online, this position has brought Murphy to ESU’s campus regularly.

“I just finished a year on the FHWP leadership team. During this time, I served as the teacher-in-residence for the 2017 ILI last summer. This was an incredible opportunity to work with the site directors, Dr. Heather Caswell and Dr. Roger Caswell, as well as 10 teachers from around Kansas in their pursuit of highquality writing instruction,” Murphy explained. “I also had the opportunity to advocate for National Writing Project funding with Kansas legislators in Washington, D.C., during spring break of 2017. In addition, I attended the National Council of Teachers of English and its Assembly on Literature for the Adolescents of NCTE meeting in St. Louis in November 2017. All of my experience with FHWP and NWP has opened a network of educators and resources around the state and nation.”

Murphy anticipates teaching a dual-credit English composition course following completion of the degree.

“I look forward to this challenge and feel that my studies will equip me well for it. In addition, I’m proud to say that I’m pursuing graduate studies in my content area. It is not an easy course, which makes it a meaningful one,” she said. “Finally, I am hopeful that having a master’s degree in my content area will open further opportunities, even after my retirement from fulltime teaching. I’d like to possibly teach a bit online if possible, and with a master’s degree in English, I can do that.”

“I expected graduate school to be challenging, and it has been. I feel like the professors I’ve taken classes with so far, however, have been knowledgeable while also being approachable and encouraging.”

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: e c n a t s i D e h t g n i g Brid STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

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w e N York In the state of New York, teachers have five years to earn their master’s degrees upon beginning full-time in the classroom.

Dennis McCormick, an elementary physical education teacher at Voorheesville Elementary School, began searching for master’s programs following a successful first year of teaching.

“I started looking at my local options … I had Siena College, University of Albany, College of Saint Rose, Sage College, Skidmore College and Union College. None of those options had what I was interested in,” said McCormick.

From there, he went online, searching for physical education, coaching and health programs.

“I found Emporia State University and the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation triad degree program, 100 percent online!” he said. “It was such an attractive degree program because it had a host of varying classes in each major to cover any of the three topic areas.”

McCormick expected that a program covering such a wide array of areas would make him more marketable and help him with future employment in other areas.

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“I applied in weeks and was accepted after my school district and the New York State Education Department approved this degree program as fulfilling the required master’s degree for, at the time, permanent certification,” explained McCormick.

Soon after enrolling, McCormick realized that he had enrolled in the perfect program for him.

“My graduate experience was one of the greatest I have ever had in my life. I worked with some of the best and most influential instructors in the business,” he said. “The other major advantage that needs to be addressed and clearly stated is this — had I pulled the trigger at Siena or University of Albany or Union or St. Rose — not only would I have had a degree in something that I wasn’t interested in, but I would have paid a ton of money. By choosing Emporia State University, I paid a third of the tuition and by being remote, I could freely fill coaching vacancies that I would have had to bypass because I would have had to be in a physical classroom from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.,” he said.

Within three years, McCormick had earned his degree.

“The first wave outcome of this degree was that I earned permanent New York State certification to keep my career going and stay on track for a full pension after 30 years of

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service in the public school system. I was given a higher salary at each step on the school district’s salary scale. I was able to confidently and competently fulfill over 26 seasons of coaching in 19 years, coaching three sports per season in many of those first five years of teaching,” McCormick said. “I was able to attract three physical education schools — SUNY Cortland, SUNY Brockport and Sage College — to house their student teacher candidates at VES for their final experience before walking across their stages into the job market. I have had 20 student teachers in my 19-year career.”

McCormick has taken on several other roles in addition to his adjunct position at ESU and his elementary teaching position.

He currently teaches 4.5 college-level courses, too.

In addition to the saved money, salary increases, and increased opportunity for his school, McCormick also gained confidence to succeed in distance learning. He went on to earn a doctorate in sport performance psychology through the University of the Rockies in Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado.

“The niche of what SPPs do is through our mental teaching and coaching. With every movement, there first had to be a brain’s synapse at the cognitive level and an SPP is vital to that concept. Recently, I was contacted to explore and commit to four independent projects involving mental coaching to two baseball academies, a national basketball camp, and one of the larges AAU basketball franchises in the country (Chicago).

Moreover, my partners are moving toward building a phone app in mental coaching to become a national entity, not just a local and/or regional one.”

“It was the most difficult challenge I have faced so far, and I thrived with a 3.95 GPA because of what ESU taught me — focus, attention, patience, perseverance, humility, confidence, competence, hard work, pride, effort, intensity and being thankful for the people on the other side of the computer screen validating me and encouraging my pursuit of greatness, even in the face of hopelessness at times when stress, pressure and anxiety start to creep in.”

But it doesn’t end there. McCormick’s connection with the program faculty remained strong years after graduation, resulting in a permanent adjunct professor position for him at Emporia State teaching PE 707 Sport Psychology since January 2012.

“The last outcome wave is in production now,” McCormick said of his latest venture. “This wave has the potential to use every single ounce of every degree program and class I ever took. This wave is about consultancy and building a product for the private sectors. As a sport psychologist professional, I can use my degree to teach kindergarteners how to skip right through to Olympians and their relentless pursuit of gold.”

McCormick attributed his success to that pivotal moment when he learned of and pursued a graduate degree at Emporia State.

“Emporia’s core faculty in the HPER online degree gave me all that I ever needed to become a great student, a great educator, a great son, a great husband, and what I hope my children will say one day in hindsight, a great dad.”

“I am so thankful to have remained such an important part of this degree program that has meant so much to me.”

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Testing THE

Waters

As a professional hydrogeologist with a tight schedule, Douglas Geller was limited in his graduate school options. He had the desire to pursue a graduate degree, but finding time to commute to the classroom, attend lectures, commute home and complete projects was not realistic.

“I had always wanted to pursue a graduate degree in hydrogeology but lacked the time to go back to school full-time,” said Geller.

“About that time, I became aware of increasing opportunities in distance education and began searching for possibilities. My search on the internet eventually led me to ESU and the physical science department — specifically Professor Marcia Schulmeister.

At that time, I think ESU had the best distance education offerings in the earth sciences, and one of the very few with hydrogeology options as far as North American universities were concerned.”

Geller’s interest in hydrogeology had developed over the course of several years. In fact, it was not his initial interest as an undergraduate.

“Back when I was getting my bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado, I had originally thought I was going to be a geologist working in oil and gas or minerals,” he said. “I fancied myself working in the field all the time, in remote areas, being dropped off by a helicopter or perhaps staying in a remote camp and doing geologic mapping somewhere in the American West or perhaps 11

Alaska and the Yukon. I had friends who did this and told tales of encounters with grizzly bears, catching five-pound Salmon in streams, beautiful mountain scenery, even projects that took them to South America, and it all sounded very romantic and exciting.”

Unable to land his dream job, Geller entered his first round of graduate study in traditional geology. He followed university friends into the environmental/groundwater field.

“After 6 years of studying geology and one year working for the US Geological Survey in Denver, I took a job working full-time out in the field being the geologist onsite while drilling groundwater monitoring wells at landfills and working on the test pumping of water supply wells. I rather enjoyed the work, and one thing led to another and as time passed, I kind of forgot all about becoming a ‘real’ geologist and instead started to focus on groundwater.

This was back at a time of explosive growth in the groundwater consulting industry due to new regulations, and so there were many opportunities in that field compared to work in minerals, which at the time, was at a low point.”

Geller began his graduate career with Emporia State University while in his 40s, juggling a family and career, by enrolling in a single class.

“I tested the waters of distance education by taking one course in hydrogeology taught by Dr. Schulmeister. At the time, I was also

working full-time and raising two boys under the age of 10. The course went well, I kept things together at home and at work and decided to apply to the M.S. program,” he said.

The M.S. program in physical sciences allowed Geller to enroll in the concentration of earth science, and this concentration is able to be completed entirely online, which is just what he needed.

“Our program is special, in that traditional on-campus and online students co-enroll in hybrid online/face-to-face courses that allow for interaction between students from all over the world. Many of our online students use the M.S. degree to advance in their careers, prepare for the professional geologist license exam or enhance their teaching credentials,” explained Schulmeister.

Geller’s interest was in management of groundwater resources, and this program gave him a greater understanding of the topic while earning a master’s degree.

“Although established in my career, a graduate degree is definitely a boost to anyone working in my field and before it was too late — whenever that is — I went for it,” he said.

Through his coursework, Geller became connected with his faculty members and was soon asked to act as a virtual teaching assistant.

“Doug entered our program with extensive experience in water resources management and did an excellent job in my introductory hydrogeology course. Given his insight on certain practical aspects of groundwater science, my department chair allowed me the flexibility of hiring him as an online “virtual” teaching assistant for the hydrogeology course. He did a nice job of sharing his work-related insight when grading homework

submitted by students with varied backgrounds and career goals,” said Dr. Schulmeister.

Geller found success through this venture, as well as the coursework, but it was not for the faint of heart. He was committed, though, and maximized his time to accomplish it all. Not only did he complete the program with flying colors, but he took every opportunity to make the most of the experience, finding time to visit the Emporia, Kansas, campus not once, but twice.

“The hardest part was always the time commitment and juggling the competing demands on my time. When the time came to write my thesis, I holed up for the better part of a winter and got it done,” Geller said. “Although virtually all my graduate work was conducted by distance learning (including my oral thesis defense), visiting ESU in person made the experience complete.”

Although a challenge, Geller’s hard work paid off. He completed the program not only with a degree, but with numerous new connections and with preparation for an adjustment to his career.

“In the years since completing my degree, my career has flourished. This is partly due to the fact that I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be one of the founders and the president of an environmental consulting firm specializing in groundwater, located in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, where I have lived for the last 15 years,” Geller said. “We now have 12 employees and their offices are located throughout the Province of British Columbia. My M.S. thesis focused on an area of hydrogeology in which I routinely practice, and I am considered a technical expert in this subject matter, both within my company and also in the general hydrogeology community in B.C.”

Photo Credit: Jeff Bassett

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STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

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EQUIPPING FOR

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As a soon-to-be-graduating high school student, John Moyer knew he wanted to pursue higher education in business. What he didn’t know, though, was where to start.

An Olpe, Kansas, native, Moyer was familiar with Emporia State, but wanted to check into all his options.

“I first visited Kansas State University and was very impressed with their business/information systems program. I was mostly settled that I would be attending Kansas State,” said Moyer. “Then I visited Emporia State and vividly remember meeting James Wenger, who was a professor at the time. He sat me down and convinced me that the low cost of ESU, the high job placement rate of their program and closeness to home was the best fit for me, so I chose ESU and am glad I did!”

Moyer entered the School of Business freshman year and never looked back.

During the last semester of his undergraduate degree, Hallmark Cards recruited Moyer at a career fair held at Emporia State, and he began his career there as an IT programmer in June 2008. Since then, and with many position shifts along the way, Moyer has taken on a business development role at Cerner Corp.

Throughout his time in the professional world, Moyer kept a graduate degree on his radar.

“After receiving my bachelor’s degree from Emporia State in 2008, I knew pursuing a master’s degree was in my future. I have high career aspirations and getting an MBA can not only give you more skills but enhance your résumé. After getting some ‘real world’ experience I was ready to pursue graduate school,” he explained.

With his past connection to Emporia State, it didn’t take much for Moyer to decide that enrolling in the master of business administration program at ESU was the best next step he could take.

“Since I grew up in Olpe and received my undergrad from Emporia State, continuing my graduate work there as well became a natural fit. It is affordable, AACSB accredited, convenient, and the staff is great. What more could you ask for?” he said.

This step led him to a rewarding experience.

“My graduate experience has been pleasant. Initially, I was taking a mix of online and face-to-face classes, which I enjoyed. In the latter half of my experience, I have been doing all online classes,

which has proven to be very convenient for my schedule,” explained Moyer during his last semester. “I am married with two young children and have a busy career, so fitting my classwork into my own schedule has been key to my success. My favorite parts have been the convenience of the online schedule and just stretching my mind to learn more about the business world.”

Moyer found the degree to be very applicable, which was his original hope when enrolling in the program.

“Completing the MBA program is putting more tools in my toolbox. This role requires entrepreneurial thinking and can cover the entire business curriculum. Having this degree is also a preferred requirement for future jobs I want,” he said.

These additional tools have not only challenged him to think differently, but they helped Moyer succeed in his current role at Cerner Corp.

“I am responsible for our network technology business, where we provide technical resell and services. I lead a team of 17 network engineers and architects. I’m also responsible for growing the business from a sales perspective in addition to marketing, business processes, contract management, partner management and business segment profitability. This is a role where I’m utilizing my master’s education on a daily basis.”

In 2017, Moyer was selected as the Outstanding Recent Graduate for the School of Business at Emporia State University. He was selected for his professionalism in his career and maintained connection with ESU through his position on the Emporia State Information Systems Advisory Council.

“John was selected from a group of outstanding School of Business graduates — all of whom have significant and impressive achievements since leaving Emporia State,” said Dr. John Rich, associate dean of the School of Business. “His professional advancement at Cerner is most noteworthy. When coupled with his services to ESU’s Information Systems program and completion of our MBA, John rose to the top.”

Moyer graduated in May 2018, and like many others, found Emporia State’s master of business administration program to be convenient and flexible, allowing him to maintain an alreadyfull schedule, but also helpful in continuing his journey up the corporate ladder.

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Kent Garrett, a current undergraduate academic advisor for a local Kansas college, felt limited in his ability to help the students he was advising. Mostly nontraditional, these students had been out of school for several years and struggled with writing — especially during their first few semesters. With a passion for his work and those students, Garrett decided to become a student himself so he could be of more assistance.

“The creative writing courses I have taken have really helped me start to hone my craft and put pen to paper. Despite having less time to read and write, I have actually found myself doing more of both!”

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In search of graduate English programs, Garrett began looking at local institutions. A colleague who had recently completed the library science program at Emporia State recommended the program to Garrett, and it happened to be just what he was looking for.

In 2016, six years after completing his bachelor’s degree, Garrett enrolled in Emporia State University’s master of arts in English program.

“I work full-time and I’m married with two young boys, so I was ecstatic when I saw that I could complete my degree completely online! Not only has this allowed me to continue working at my current job, but it also allowed me to stay on track — even when my second son was born in the middle of my program,” explained Garrett.

During his graduate career, Garrett has taken coursework that falls primarily into three categories: literature, creative writing and composition/pedagogy, most of which have been instantly applicable in his current position.

“My composition/pedagogy courses have had the most application in my current role,” Garrett said. “Since starting the program at ESU, I have worked more closely with students to help them improve their writing. Normally, I suggest that students visit our Academic Success Center when they need help with their writing. Many of these students, however, work full-time and attend class entirely online. Obviously, I can relate to this!”

In such instances, Garrett makes the most of his advising role by reviewing the students’ writings, comparing them to the assignment requirements and providing suggestions.

“This may involve organization of the paper, identifying error patterns, connecting them with resources that will help them in the future or even just working through how to prioritize their time,” said Garrett.

This program has not only allowed Garrett to help others chase their goals, but it reignited a spark that he had once brushed off.

“Before starting the program at ESU, I had an idea kicking around in my head for a fantasy novel that I want to write,” he said. “The creative writing courses I have taken have really helped me start to hone my craft and put pen to paper. Despite having less time to read and write, I have actually found myself doing more of both!”

More responsibilities to juggle was expected, but the program flexibility and support by faculty and staff have allowed Garrett to be successful in this pursuit of further education.

That progress, though, was accomplished through some unique learning methods and times, proving there is no rest for the weary.

“For me, the coursework was something I had to squeeze into the nooks and crannies of my life. Since all of my coursework has been online, I’ve been able to maximize my lunch breaks at work to make progress on my reading and assignments. I usually have some sort of audiobook playing in my car and on my phone that is either directly assigned by one of my courses or at least related to what I am currently studying. Still, the bulk of my coursework gets done at home once I put my boys to bed,” Garrett said.

All of the work put in from afar gave Garrett a glimpse of ESU’s quality and culture, and ultimately led to a trip to Emporia to visit the campus and professors.

“I can’t say enough good things about my program! The courses have been fascinating and have taught me so much.

The instructors have been flexible, easy to work with and very relational — especially considering I’ve taken every course online,” he said. “I’ve had such positive interactions with the instructors that I’ve actually made a point of taking a day off work each semester to attend a class session in person.”

Although an overall positive experience, Garrett never called the program “easy.”

“Caffeine has become my new best friend.”

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY 16

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

Stepping

Fill a

Up Need

17

to

“My school — a large, urban school in the Kansas City metro — was in a bind,” said Megan Willet, a teacher at the school and current ESU graduate student. “The teacher that taught dual credit was leaving and none of the rest of the English department had enough graduate credits in English to teach the course.”

“I really wanted an online program from a very reputable college. I wanted to know that I received online with the same rigor that I would have received had I attended the local university here in Kansas City. After looking into Emporia State, I could tell that this program would do exactly that,” she said.

In a high school that size, dual credit options are crucial for the students, and getting rid of the opportunity for students to take dual credit English courses was not an option.

The master of arts in English at Emporia State can be completed on campus or online. Willet opted for the latter. She enrolled and is making great progress toward completion of the degree.

“I was already signed up to take a course through Missouri State over the summer that was six English graduate credit hours, so I was the only one that even really had the prospect in mind. We worked with the University of Central Missouri, who we teach our dual credit through, and they agreed to let me provisionally teach the course as long as I was enrolled in a program,” Willet said.

“It has really been great. I was nervous because I hadn’t attended school in over 10 years, and I never took classes online. They weren’t offered back then! So, I really had no idea what to expect,” she said. “What surprised me the most was how much I still felt like part of a classroom community even though my courses were online. I have made virtual friends with other online graduate students that I have had multiple classes with, and I have felt really supported by both my classmates and my professors.”

Willet plans to graduate in August but has already put to use her new skills and knowledge by taking on the position of a dual credit instructor.

Although she was enrolled in the course at Missouri State University, it was only an extension course offered through the National Writing Project in Kansas City, where Willet resides. It was the only course they offered in the Kansas City area.

Thus, from there, she began her search.

“I was searching far and wide for a reputable university that offered an online masters of English program, where I would still have in-state tuition,” said Willet. “All of my boxes were checked when I explored ESU’s program! It was a no-brainer decision for me.”

Willet said she had come across other semi-local universities offering the program, but they were not accredited, which was a big selling point for her.

“Having this degree has already changed my day-today and will even more in August ... It also has already allowed me to get a raise due to having obtained so many credit hours, and when I graduate, I will be pushed to the farthest end of our salary schedule!” she said. “Apart from the fiscal aspects, it has made me a better teacher.

I forgot what it was like sometimes to be a student, and now I can empathize more with some of the struggles that my students have. I also learned a lot in my teachingrelated courses, and I certainly brushed up immensely on my literature analysis skills!”

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY 18

Return forth

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

19

Teaching special education was Melissa Sullivan’s first pursuit. After completing her bachelor’s degree in this field in 2002, she was put to work in the classroom setting. She loved it but was interested in exploring graduate degree options as well.

“I always wanted to pursue my graduate degree, although I didn’t know what field I wanted to go into,” Sullivan explained.

That was, until she met the school psychologist at her school.

“I loved visiting with him and learning about the brain and its impact on education,” said Sullivan. “Because I have a heart for special education, school psychology would allow me to stay in that realm but broaden my knowledge base, impact and learning.”

Like Sullivan, the school psychologist at her school had completed his undergraduate degree in special education, then completed his graduate degree in school psychology at Emporia State University and highly recommended ESU to Sullivan.

“Once I had been teaching for about 10 years, I decided that it was time to start looking at furthering my education,” she said.

In 2014, Sullivan enrolled part-time in the school psychology graduate program at Emporia State. By taking some courses online and some on campus, she was able to juggle her degree alongside her already busy schedule and continue teaching full-time. By doing so, she interacted with a diverse group of peers — many of which were also returning to school after several years out.

“I made great connections with other students in my classes, both traditional and non-traditional,” she said.

This, in fact, was her favorite part. “[They] were stationed all over the state. This allowed me to branch out professionally and make connections which are still intact today.”

One of the other most helpful things, Sullivan said, was the faculty and their efforts to help her learn.

“My professors were invested in the teaching, and I loved the feedback I received from them,” she said. “Professors valued the experience I brought to the program, which was unique to others in my classes.”

The coursework worked so well for her that by the second year, she decided to dive in head first and enroll full-time. Her school district worked with her, and the combination of face-toface and online courses gave her the flexibility that she needed. By 2016, she was graduating with both an education specialist and a master of science in school psychology degree.

An increase in salary is typically an expected outcome of a graduate degree. An additional outcome, though, was a greater geographic flexibility for job placement.

“I recently took a position closer to home, which allows me to have more time with my three girls and husband. I also got raises throughout my schooling as I increased the number of credit hours I had taken,” she said.

Using her degree from Emporia State, Sullivan enjoys her work and is making an impact on many.

“I am currently in my third year as a school psychologist. As a result of my advanced degree, I have joined a field I love. I get to help teachers and school teams make positive differences in the lives of students every day. I get to work with individual students in multiple ways, which allows me to stay connected to students. I also get to advocate with families and school for improved school mental health services, improved outcomes for students with disabilities and overall school programs.”

Sullivan was able to maintain her full-time work and family life while chasing her dreams and wouldn’t trade it.

“Being able to continue to work full-time and do coursework in a flexible manner allowed me to further my education and continue in a field I love while expanding my role to a larger capacity.”

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY 20

College, much less graduate school, was just not in Viviana Casillas’s future, or so she thought.

“As a child, I knew my education was only going to go as far as elementary school,” Casillas said. “We would have to pay for middle school. For my family to choose to pay for middle school for my older sister and me, and to travel 5 kilometers to the nearest town and provide food … that was not going to be possible. Even with my father working in the States, money was stretched very thin.”

At the age of 9, though, Casillas, along with her siblings and mother, migrated to Colorado to reunite with her father.

“Once we came to ‘el norte’ (The North-The United States) we arrived in Colorado. My father and mother were strong proponents of doing well in school and always expected us to do our best. During many dinner conversations, my father emphasized that although we were better economically than in our hometown, he wanted us to finish high school, but that was as far as he could help,” she explained. “If we could finish high school, their efforts would not have been in vain, however, they would not be able to help us go to college. With their salary that was not possible. He was clear on how much he could give us and we knew that only with a miracle were we going to go to college. If there was a chance, I wasn’t going to let go of it.

Photo Credit: RJ Sangosti

l a i t n e n o p Ex Impact An

21

l

“My graduate experience was great. I never thought I would be able to accomplish all the work in two years. If anything, I thought it would take me another 10 years to finish as I did for my undergraduate.”

“I still remember the words he said to us, ‘cuando todos terminen la escuela, nos regresamos a Mexico’ — ‘when you all finish school, we will go back to Mexico’. As much as I wanted to go back, I also wanted to go further in my education. I didn’t want to work in the fields as I did when I was a child with my father and older sister,” she said.

That seed of determination sprouted, driving Casillas through a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Colorado in Denver.

She had been working in libraries for more than 10 years by the time she graduated with her bachelor’s and knew she wanted to pursue librarianship. Nervous about the expenses of pursuing a master’s and the idea of online learning, though, she wasn’t quite ready to take a step toward graduate school yet.

Fast forward two years to 2014, and she had a renewed interest.

Through involvement in the Third REFORMA CO Conference held in the Denver Public Library, Casillas learned about the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University.

“My mentor and library manager at the time, Pilar Castro-Reino, presented me to David Willis, and he gave me his card and suggested we talk about the program and whether this program was a good fit for me. I followed up with an email and call, and I set up a time to meet and talk about my goals and aspirations,” Casillas said. “David was very welcoming and informative, and he spoke about Emporia with such passion. There was no doubt I wanted to do my graduate work at Emporia State University.”

Prior to this discussion, one of her fears was that graduate school would severely limit the time she was able to spend with her family. The more Casillas learned of ESU’s hybrid format in the School of Library and Information Management, the more that fear subsided. She would be able to complete the bulk of the school work entirely online, and only be at ESU’s site in Denver occasionally for an intensive weekend.

“I wanted to spend time with my three kids and husband, and the online experience offered that opportunity. I won’t deny that I was apprehensive and scared, as my previous online studies were not successful, however I gave it my best to ensure it would be different this time. To do online work and still have time to meet with the instructors during the in-person sessions was a plus,

and the fact that I was able to work at the library and still do my schoolwork was an important factor when making my decision to attend ESU,” she explained.

Casillas decided to enroll and soon began her cohort-style program through ESU. “My graduate experience was great. I never thought I would be able to accomplish all the work in two years. If anything, I thought it would take me another 10 years to finish as I did for my undergraduate,” she said. “The cohort I was with worked great together. We were very close with each other and created amazing relationships that to date, we still have. The instructors were amazing. I never had such a connection with an instructor as I did with Emporia State. The instructors were flexible, knowledgeable, and encouraged everyone to do their best. This program was more than I had expected.”

While working on her MLS degree, Casillas became the program administrator for the Career Online High School, which she still oversees. She has also been deliberate in taking over other positions in an effort to give more back to her community.

“In my career development, I am now the president of the Colorado Chapter of REFORMA CO and continue to build awareness for services to Hispanic/Latino and the Spanish speaking in our community. I took other leadership roles in my ‘spare’ time due to the learnings I had in the SLIM program.

My next goal is to continue to grow within the organization that has supported me through the years, the Denver Public Library, and take on new challenges as a manager, when the time comes,” she said.

Her degree has allowed her to learn and grow in a field that she loves, and she may not be done yet.

“Overall, I loved the experience at ESU, from the time I met with David, the instructors, the learning and the connections. I still connect with David and Emporia through REFORMA CO. The time at Emporia were years I will never forget; they have contributed to the person I am today,” she said. “This program exceeded my expectations and gave me more than what I would have expected. At one point, it sparked my interest in pursuing a Ph.D. … Who knows, I may be able to do it if I have ESU on my side again!”

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY 22

STUDENT EXPERIENCE 2018

Second

Languages

AND Second

23

Chances

Tito Aznar, an Argentina native, began studying English at the age of 10. He attended a private institution, and within a couple of years, he was tutoring students in English.

Shortly after the tutoring began, two teachers at the institution were going on maternity leave. Substitutes were not available to fill their absences, so the director of the institution reached out to Aznar for help.

At the age of 14, Aznar began teaching English, his second language, to children and teens in two different classes.

Thus began his English as a foreign language teaching career.

Aznar worked as a long-term substitute teacher at the institution until he was 17, when he was hired full-time.

By 22, he came to the United States — Oklahoma Panhandle State, more specifically — to pursue his undergraduate degree in English.

By 2004, he had completed his bachelor’s degree, been offered a teaching job and began taking graduate coursework through a university that offered a summer in-service program.

“Given a number of circumstances, I became busier at work and my schooling suffered … I didn’t prioritize things correctly.

I earned several credits and attended all classes, but I didn’t finish all the work for the MA. Of course, that was something I both needed to do and, most importantly, wanted to do and complete,” said Aznar. “That’s how I chose to enroll at Emporia State University. When looking at programs online — I decided that summers-only programs are definitely not for me — what Emporia offered works well for me.”

Aznar had some specifics he was searching for in a graduate program: fully online and located near Oklahoma in case he ever decided to go to campus, among others.

“I have colleagues in different fields who earned their degrees at ESU, and as their experiences were positive, I decided to look

further into the program. A couple of things that attracted me from the beginning were the fact that I didn’t have to take the GRE to be admitted — I haven’t had a math class in almost two decades, and I didn’t have much time to prepare for it — and the department’s website, which was welcoming and informative.

A plus was that tuition and fee costs were affordable,” he said.

Aznar has been taking the coursework part-time, and is about halfway through the program, anticipating graduation in May 2019.

“My experience has been very much positive. Every instructor I have encountered has been knowledgeable and helpful. They are willing to meet with students over the phone or through video conference, and they always respond to emails in a timely manner. I feel that I have formed a professional bond with my professors, and the classes certainly promote scholarship and good working relationships,” he said.

“Before enrolling in this program, I had never taken online classes, and I was a bit apprehensive. However, I can say that my experience is nothing as I expected to be — it is so much better.

From the way classes are organized to the way people interact, every class has been a positive experience that contributes in some way to my everyday work context, as all I learn I can and do apply in my own classes … the faculty are phenomenal.

Faculty are knowledgeable, professional — and above all — caring; they truly have the students’ best interests at heart.”

Although the degree is not yet complete, Aznar says that it has already made a difference in his work.

“I haven’t gotten my degree yet, but my education contributes to my day-to-day doings at work,” he said. “When I finish my degree, it will definitely contribute greatly, as it will allow me to change positions and become a full instructor.”

“My experience has been very much positive. Every instructor I have encountered has been knowledgeable and helpful. They are willing to meet with students over the phone or through video conference, and they always respond to emails in a timely manner. I feel that I have formed a professional bond with my professors, and the classes certainly promote scholarship and good working relationships.”

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY 24

Your next steps: 1.) Visit emporia.edu/grad to learn about all of our programs, assistantship opportunities, learn about qualifications and requirements, and much more!

2.) Apply to one of our many online or on-campus graduate certificate and degree programs.

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Scholarships:

emporia.edu/grad/scholarships-awards/