Where are you from? Chester, Illinois.

When did you start at WGU? September 2009.

Your program of study: Nursing, BSN completion.

Your favorite aspect of being a WGU student: The ability to work toward my degree when I can make time; flexibility.

What are your plans after you finish your degree? Healthcare Information Technology.

Outside of work and WGU, what do you like to do? Family activities and reading.

More on Karen: I finished my associate's degree almost 15 years ago and always planned to complete my bachelor's degree. I could never make time to go to the local college program; I couldn’t find time to go to a scheduled class. I have a family, and I work full-time in a busy surgery department in a small hospital. I’m on-call different days of the week and some weekends. There was not time to commit to a degree program.  But I found WGU, and it really fits my needs. I can work on my classes when I have time. In fact, I finished my first-term classes early!

I'm looking forward to finishing my degree and possibly moving toward a healthcare IT degree. I was a core team member on an electronic documentation project, and I helped my hospital system implement computerized documentation for the hospital staff; the physicians will go online later. I really enjoyed that side of healthcare and may pursue that area. Since my employer requires a bachelor’s degree for IT positions, WGU is helping me advance my career in that direction.

Where are you from? I grew up on a farm/ranch in rural North Dakota. The closest town was Garrison, twenty miles away, with a population of 1,800.

When did you start at WGU? I started at WGU during the January term.

Your program of study: Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Your favorite aspect of being a WGU student: My favorite aspect of WGU is being able to be task-oriented. I like the competency-based approach because I just complete the tasks and move ahead. It is a very progressive program that I am in. I feel like I am able to move through the courses with ease and help is always available if I need it.

What are your plans after you finish your degree? I plan on pursuing my master’s degree in nursing and becoming a geriatric nurse pactitioner.

Outside of work and WGU, what do you like to do? I am a typical farm girl. I like spending time in the country with my family, fishing, playing in the mud and camping. I enjoy traveling when I have the time, and I do some public speaking about my Cerebral Palsy and being a nurse. I speak out about the challenges I have faced in life because of my illness. Hopefully, I provide insight into what it is like for someone who faces physical obstacles in the workplace, but has learned to adjust.

More on Carla: If you Google my name, Carla Pease, you will find several web articles about my Cerebral Palsy and being a nurse. To learn more about me, you may want to piece it together through the Internet, or perhaps a phone call would be better. I have done some pretty unique things, including working with the Shriners organization for my internship after being a patient at a Shriners hospital for almost 18 years. I swam with dolphins, continue to speak publicly – all kinds of fun things. All because I have Cerebral Palsy.

Where are you from? St. Louis, Missouri.

When did you start at WGU? October 2009.

Your program of study: Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Your favorite aspect of being a WGU student: I put off getting my BSN for so long because I didn’t want to spend more time away from my kids. After working all day, I didn’t want to have to go to class…now class is in my home office. I love it.

What are your plans after you finish your degree? I would like to continue on with WGU and get my master's in nursing. I believe this will make me even more competitive in the medical device business world.

Outside of work and WGU, what do you like to do? I love to stay active by hiking, walking my dog and practicing yoga. I love cooking and entertaining friends at home. I also enjoy traveling.

More on Harriet: I’ve worked my whole life, raised kids and taken good care of everyone around me. I love my life, but always felt a need to complete my degree. It is important to me and necessary in order to further my career. This is my time. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not easy but it is possible….and I am almost there.