Jenine Koziolek
Meet Jenine Koziolek
Name: Jenine Koziolek
Age: 32
Marital Status: Single
Children: One 4-year-old daughter
Schedule: Manages being a single mother, working full-time, working a 20-hour/week internship, and taking classes online.
School: UMass Online
Target: M.Ed. in School Counseling, May 2008
Although she estimates that her degree will cost her about $25,000-$30,000 due to borrowing extra to help with expenses, she emphasizes, "I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction in being able to pay for those loans, knowing the accomplishment that comes with them."
One difficulty Jenine has with distance learning is not being on campus to ask questions in person related to financial and scheduling issues. To overcome this obstacle she has learned to stick to her guns.
Questions that just would have been left unanswered in the past are now dealt with because she refuses to hang up the phone until her questions are answered. She also feels that communication at UMass is improving through the use of email.
Jenine says the most surprising thing about distance learning has been that she's learned more than she anticipated and is becoming a better person as a result.
"I was concerned that the classes wouldn't be reputable, but I believe I have worked harder in the last 2 years than I have in the 16 years of education I completed up until this program" she says.
Pursuit of higher education does not come without sacrifice. Jenine considers herself lucky that she has a fantastic support system.
She has a supportive employer who has provided some financial assistance and allows her to adjust her schedule to attend to school matters. "My employers have always been supportive of me furthering my education."
She also has a network of close friends and family who help care for her daughter while she meets work and school responsibilities. She explains, "If I didn't have these friends and my family, I honestly don't think we would be where we are today, they are so fabulous!"
Although her strong support system eases some of the burdens, she still feels getting through her current schedule, which includes single parenting, a full-time job, a weekly internship at 20 hours a week, and 2½ hours of online classes, is all about "keeping my head above water."
Jenine's time with her daughter may not be in abundance, but she says, "We try to make the time we do have together extra special."
Sunday is their day no matter what! Together they enjoy the chidren's theater, the zoo, the park, picnics, and as a special treat, ice cream! With an expected graduation date of May 2008 Jenine says, "The end is in sight, and sacrifices can be made to get there!"
When asked how obtaining her degree will improve her life, Jenine states, "It already has and I haven't obtained it yet!" In her case she feels the saying "knowledge is power" could be rephrased to "knowledge is strength."
Pursuing her degree and everything she has learned has been a "definite boost in confidence for me."
When Jenine graduates she plans on celebrating with her daughter by hitting the blue skies. For the past year her daughter has been asking to fly somewhere and they've set up a special savings account to do just that. One possible destination is Boston to walk through the graduation ceremony.
Does Jenine have any words of wisdom for potential distance learners? She advises having a good computer, make sure the program is accredited and always ask questions, never giving up until you have the answers.
Also, get to know your classmates because they will be a great source of support and knowledge.
What has Jenine learned about herself throughout this process? "I am intelligent, confident and capable!"
Would she do another degree online in the future? "Yes, most definitely!"
