Continuing Education Stories
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Anita Woodley
“It all started with this one little course,
and I haven’t stopped since then!”
Anita Woodley is a great writer; she will tell you that about herself. But she wasn’t always so confident. Her experiences growing up in the rich cultural environment of Oakland, California, gave her a unique voice—but she worried that her writing skills were not strong enough to express it. “In college, I worked closely with my English professors to learn what I was not properly taught in the Oakland Public school system. Even as an NPR producer, I swelled with fear when asked to write a promo or revise my notes from a pre-interview.” Anita recalls.
To gain confidence in her writing, she decided to take a Community Classroom Series course called “Write Your Life.” For Anita, this was the beginning of a life-changing transformation. “It taught me to appreciate who I am and to put it into my work. I just soared!” she recalls. She learned so much from the instructor that she decided to take another one of his courses, this time in the Carolina Courses Online program for academic credit. Anita plans to take more writing courses through the Friday Center, but for the time being she is enjoying great success in her career as a radio producer, having recently won two national journalism awards, and she is now charging top dollar for freelance writing assignments. “I’m really a writer!” she says, with all the confidence in the world.
Joan Black
“Our conference is being held up as
the
gold standard in providing accessibility.”
Conference planner Joan Black presented the Friday Center with the ultimate technical challenge: provide program access during a three-day conference for an audience of hearing impaired, deaf, or deaf and blind attendees. “This was an extremely challenging event, as we promised accessibility each day, every session,” she remembers.
With the highest level of technical expertise and a legendary commitment to customer service, the Friday Center’s audiovisual and conference planning staff took on the challenge with remarkable results. Accommodations were made through a variety of methods including closed-captioning, sign language, and close-up projection of presenters for lip-readers. All of these accommodations were made seamlessly— presentation content was delivered to the entire audience, regardless of impairment.
“Accessibility is not readily available or understood throughout society—even though it is 2008—so our conference is currently being held up as the gold standard for all conferences in providing accessibility to and for everyone.” says Joan. “We achieved our lofty goal with the cooperation and support of the Friday Center.” The Friday Center has long been considered the premiere continuing education facility in the Triangle area of North Carolina and consistently receives high praise for the extra-mile efforts of its conference services staff.
Susan Waddell
“It can be done. I am proof!”
In 1977, Susan Waddell had an exciting career ahead of her. She had just graduated from nursing school and had begun working as a full-time nurse. She also had a new husband and dreams of building a family. Eventually, Susan set aside her career while she raised three children and, before she knew it, twenty-six years had gone by. It was then that she decided the time had come to restart her career. “I felt led to pursue the Nursing Refresher Course at age forty-nine. I completed the program at age fifty.”
Susan is now happily employed as a clinical nurse in Same Day Surgery at Duke Raleigh Hospital. “If I can do this after being out of the profession for so long, no one should feel fearful or intimidated about starting on the journey.”
Horace Sewell El
“…that little old lady still haunts me. I wish I could thank her for the spell she put on me, because here I am at UNC still trying to fulfill the promise I made to her.”
During the turbulent years of the early ’70s, Horace Sewell El faced a grueling two-hour commute by bus and train to attend community college in Brooklyn, NY. “I had no job, no money, and I wanted to marry my high school sweetheart. I had a hot prospect for a job driving a city bus. It paid $10 an hour to start, with benefits, pension plan, and health insurance.” he recalls.
Horace reluctantly decided to withdraw from college. “When I arrived at the office to withdraw from my classes, I was waited on by a woman small in stature but imposing in her presence. In the few minutes it took for me to begin the process of withdrawal, she changed my life forever.” The woman in the registrar’s office held eye contact with Horace as she handed him his papers, and made him promise that he would someday return to school. “If for no other reason but the fact that she took the time and the interest to care about me—this poor kid from Queens—I promised her.”
Today, Horace Sewell El drives the Chatham County Express route for Chapel Hill Transit. When he’s not working, he is studying to become an anthropologist. He has earned 48 credit hours towards his undergraduate degree so far through the Friday Center’s Credit Programs for Part-time Students and he expects to graduate by summer of 2009.
David Buckler
“My whole life I wanted to be a Tar Heel!”
As a high school senior, David Buckler applied early to his number one college choice, UNC-Chapel Hill. Although his grades were excellent and he had high SAT scores, his out-of-state status put him in a highly competitive pool of applicants. David’s application was not accepted, so with much disappointment he moved on to attend Gettysburg College where he earned a degree in mathematics, and then George Washington University for a graduate degree in operations research. Soon he was happily married and enjoying a successful career as a defense contractor for the federal government. But he was still nagged by this one regret—he never got to be a student at UNC.
So David decided to go back to school. He took a class through Carolina Courses Online, simply for the satisfaction of being able to say he had been a Carolina student. “I received an A+ and eventually had all of my reports and assignments bound into a nice leather book, complete with my official UNC transcript!” he says with pride.
Since he was doing this purely for enjoyment, David chose a course in media criticism. “I thoroughly enjoyed it because it was different than mathematics and I learned a great deal about film art and the business of film and television.” he recalls. In fact, he was so inspired by the course that he got involved with the Washington, DC, film industry and has now been in over thirty films and television programs!
Alice Osborn
“The courses I took through the Friday Center were exactly the start I needed.”
With a new baby and a demanding retail job pushing her to the limit, Alice Osborn opened the paper one day and saw an ad for Self-paced Courses. “Looking ahead, I realized I was going to be 30 years old, so I decided it was time for a career change.” she recalls. “I had been writing my whole life and I had a real passion for writing and reading. I was active with the Raleigh Jaycee book club, and got involved in the NC Writers’ Network. My first step after that was to take a class.”
Over the next two years, Alice took two self-paced writing courses. “The self-paced course was great for someone like me who didn’t have childcare.” Alice also notes the importance of being able to ease back into a regular routine of completing assignments and daily course work. Now, with her confidence bolstered, she felt ready to pursue a master’s degree in English. “Taking these courses gave me the confidence to do everything else I went on to accomplish.” says Alice. Since completing her master’s degree in English, Alice has gone on to teach high school English, conduct numerous creative writing courses, and even publish a book of poetry.
Stephanie Henry
“I actually completed my first distance education course while on active duty.”
Stephanie Henry loves a challenge! In the late 90’s she joined the Army Reserve, partly to experience the challenge of boot camp. After completing Basic Training and Military Police training, Stephanie decided she was ready for college. She graduated with honors from Cape Fear Community College, and then applied for admission to UNC-Chapel Hill. “I was so excited when I received my acceptance letter. I couldn't believe I would soon be attending one of the finest universities in the nation,” she recalls.
Stephanie made the most of her junior year at UNC. She took on a diverse course load and rowed on UNC’s crew team. In 2001, just as she was entering her senior year, the events of September 11 abruptly interrupted Stephanie’s university experience. “I knew at that time that I would not be graduating the following May. Within two weeks of the attacks, my Army Reserve Unit was activated and I was forced to withdraw from college.”
But through the Friday Center’s distance education programs, Stephanie continued earning credits while on active duty. She finally was able to return to Chapel Hill this summer to complete the last three courses needed for her degree in Exercise and Sports Science. “Without the availability of UNC's Friday Center I wouldn't be where I am today. Thank you Friday Center!”
Chris Leitch
Goal!
Chris Leitch had a record-setting career as a UNC soccer player, leading the team to the 2001 NCAA Championship. But in 2002, when Chris was three-and-a-half years into his undergraduate degree, he was drafted by a major league team. His career as a major league player was underway; his career as a full-time student had come to an end. But Chris was still determined to earn his degree. “With the amount of travel I was doing, I thought there was no way for me to take courses.” he recalls. Then Chris learned about Carolina Courses Online and realized that he might just be able to have it all. “Without that avenue, I wouldn’t have been able to finish.” Chris completed his course work in December 2008, earning a degree in Organizational Communications. In January 2009, he married his college sweetheart, and has recently been picked up by the San Jose Earthquakes. Many goals are ahead of him, but he will tell you that some of the most important ones are also behind him now.
Kimberly P. Johnson
One class at a time!
In 1985, Kimberly P. Johnson had to take time off from college to earn money to pay back some of her student loans. She went to work as a flight attendant and, before she knew it, twenty years had gone by. During that time, she became a successful children’s author and a passionate advocate for children’s literacy. Her company, Simply Creative Works, was off to a strong start. She published twelve children’s books, appeared on the Today Show in New York City, and even was invited to be a guest reader at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. But Kimberly still had one unfulfilled goal; she wanted to finish her degree. “I don’t know why finishing my degree became so important to me, but it did…and it was a tough road! It was really hard to go back and to figure it all out.” Kimberly remembers. But she found her way, thanks to the help of Carolina staff. “You think that Carolina is so big, people won’t have time for you and your questions. But that’s not true at all. They made me feel special and gave me all the time I needed.” Kimberly started taking the Friday Center’s Self-paced Courses and earned her degree in 2006. “It was such a monumental moment for me,” she recalls, “I had a successful career and had even been invited to the White House, but this one thing—finishing my degree—has been the highlight of my life.”
Joanna Catherine Scott
Firmly grounded in historical detail
Award-winning author Joanna Catherine Scott has received much praise for the historical accuracy of her novels. Courses in the Friday Center’s Community Classroom Series helped with her research for her recent Civil War novels. Joanna took the Community Classroom Series course “The Place of Race in Carolina” while researching for her novel The Road from Chapel Hill, which was inspired by the true story of a slave from Chapel Hill. Its new sequel, Child of the South, is set in the early Reconstruction period. For this, the Community Classroom Series course, “After the Civil War” aided her research. “Both classes I found very valuable,” she says. “Both added to my knowledge and understanding of the times in which the novels were set.”
Valerie Varnell
A winding path to a new life
A few years ago, this promising young student was stopped in her tracks by a serious illness. In the middle of her sophomore year in college, Valerie Varnell was forced to take a student medical leave. The same month, her family home in Texas was destroyed by a fire. In the midst of a medical crisis, with no home to return to, Valerie was forced to remain in North Carolina on her own. Rather than letting her feelings of loss and loneliness defeat her, she decided to turn it around and give something back to her community. She co-founded a nonprofit medical clinic, eventually serving as its executive director. Before long, Valerie was ready to go back to school, but by this time her commitment to the clinic prevented her from returning as a full-time student. Through Carolina Courses Online, though, Valerie was able to resume her studies and maintain her work at the clinic. “I was able to work full-time while taking classes as a part-time student.” she recalls. Valerie eventually returned to full-time studies at UNC, where she pursued a business major. After participating in an executive education program for six months in Beijing, China, Valerie is ready to make a difference on a global scale—her dream is to help open doors for entrepreneurs in developing countries. “This summer, thanks to Carolina Courses Online, I'll be able to finish my very last UNC course and finally graduate, even though I'll be working in Beijing.”