Kandance Powell’s friends describe her as the person who jumps into the pool without checking the temperature.

“I just jump,” she exclaims.

That is how she has approached life, and now school. She trusts her instincts and is unafraid to try things, risk failure, or take a different, perhaps more scenic route. Now, she’s approaching earning her master’s degree from the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC). 

When NASA awarded a young Dr. Newton H. Miller, II an engineering scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, he did what many promising students do when they get to college. He partied. 

Unfortunately, his social life took a bit too much precedence over his studies, and two years in, his GPA showed it. 

“I was afraid to tell my dad I lost my scholarship, so I joined the Marines,” says Dr. Miller.

If alum Barbara Josma had started her new job any closer to earning her Master of Public Health, she practically would have accepted the offer while still wearing a cap and gown.

In fact, within weeks of completing graduate school, Barbara began her new role as an infection preventionist and staff developer at a rehabilitation and healthcare center in Florida.

Zyna Caron, BA in Health and Human Services

One of Zyna Caron’s guiding principles is to be able to help those who are less fortunate. Indeed, it’s been a goal of hers long before she decided to complete her degree.  

“There’s a need out there in the universe,” she says.

She knows first-hand. Dealt with what she calls a “challenging childhood,” Zyna became a homeless teenager at age 14, and she lived on the streets on her own for several years.

There’s one undeniable trait that all successful the University of Arizona Global Campus students share: they are goal-setters. When your courses are online, you’re required to make your own schedule and set a level of expectation that you can reasonably meet while trying to balance all of the priorities in your life. That’s why you see so many smiling faces at Global Campus bi-annual commencement ceremonies. These are students who have set goals, overcome obstacles, and are now fulfilling the promise they’ve made to earn a degree. 

Your doctoral degree is not only the highest level of education you can achieve, it also represents the highest level of commitment you can make to your education. With your doctorate, you are in elite company, but like any degree program, it’s going to take time and self-discipline to accomplish your goals.

If you’re eyeing the path to the ultimate degree, here are four things to consider.