Returning to school as an adult can be one of the most challenging and nerve-wracking experiences of your life, especially if it feels like you’re facing that challenge alone. Fortunately, school has always been one of the best places to meet new friends. Even in an online classroom, when colleagues are physically in another state (or country), the shared experience of learning something new together can often lead to unexpected friendships. 

In 2017, Marilyn Darrabie began looking into different online schools because she was considering a career change. With a passion for helping young people, she wanted to move into the field of social services* and help make a difference in their lives.

“I may not be able to touch everyone, but at least I can help somewhere along the line,” says the Chicago resident who originally hails from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Society of Professional Journalists at the University of Arizona Global Campus (SPJ@UAGC) is one of the most unique student organizations available at Global Campus. As one of 250 nationwide chapters, it is the society’s only fully online student chapter. Under the advisement of faculty members Dr. Teresa Taylor-Moore, Dr.

It’s a fact. Fewer than 16 percent of visually disabled Americans hold a bachelor’s degree*. 

This places Elton Thomas among the minority. 

Elton, who is legally blind, earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Ashford University** in 2016. He’s not shy about this accomplishment. After all, it’s essential to his purpose in life: to do whatever he can to support and encourage people with disabilities to succeed.

Although Dr. Yvonne Lozano was the first in her family to graduate from college, it was her grandmother Ramona who played a powerful role in her early education and in shaping her into the person she is today.

Known as a “curandera,” which is a traditional Latino healer, her grandmother was the oldest of 21 children. A natural-born leader in her local San Antonio, Texas community, she visited friends and family regularly, doing everything from helping women give birth to taking charge of funerals and wakes.