The decision to return to school as an adult is rarely simple – as working professionals with jobs and families, adding in the extra responsibility of schoolwork can bring challenges and require sacrifices. Adult students face unique obstacles, and staying the course to achieve your goals requires a strong sense of commitment.
New Hampshire native Amberlee Smock faced many challenges on her journey to complete her online M.S. Leadership degree. Despite encountering the fear of failure and devastating loss, she persevered to achieve her goal.
“One of the first obstacles I encountered was self-doubt. I questioned my abilities and often wondered if I was
capable of achieving my goals. I often felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of my aspirations.”
Self-doubt is a common and completely understandable obstacle that many adult students face. With so many responsibilities to juggle simultaneously, adding another ball into the mix can feel overwhelming. But Amberlee, like many other students in her graduating class, learned to embrace these challenges as opportunities for growth.
“Through the challenges and triumphs, I have grown, evolved and discovered the true strength that lies within me.”
Choosing Her Path: Online M.S. Leadership Degree
Amberlee always knew she wanted to help people. Her career started with an entry-level position at a nonprofit, where she slowly advanced over twelve years.
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, she decided that it was time to shift her focus to pursuing her graduate degree. She started with a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Leadership, but quickly decided that she wanted to go on to complete her M.S. Leadership degree.
“I chose the M.S. Leadership program because I aspire to be a good leader. I like empowering people to do their best guiding others to achieve their own goals. I feel rewarded by making people feel valued, appreciated, and respected.”
Building a Support Network
While working toward her degree, Amberlee lost several people whom she was close to and who supported her throughout her educational journey. With this loss, she not only faced the weight of grief, but also had to learn how to become her own sounding board to overcome the challenges she faced and stay motivated to continue with her program.
A strong support network can be vital to helping adult students succeed and achieve their goals. Having close friends, family, classmates, and even coworkers to share your challenges creates a pathway for collaborative problem-solving and provides positive motivation for staying dedicated to your goals.
Thankfully, Amberlee wasn’t alone. She found several strong support figures at the UNH College of Professional Studies, including her advisor and program faculty.
“My advisor, Bette Papa, made everything seamless for me. She signed me up for classes and checked in to make sure things were going well. She was amazing. The teachers were amazing as well. Kathy DesRoches pushed me to do my absolute best, and I cannot thank her enough for doing that. She is kind, caring, and sees potential in her students that they don’t always see in themselves.”
Amberlee also shared that she built several lasting relationships in her online courses with her classmates, whom she often meets in person and attends events with. This support helped her persevere through challenges.
“It was a truly transformational experience that taught me the power of self-belief and the importance of surrounding oneself with a supportive network.”
Learning to Lead and Achieving Her Goals
Through her online M.S. Leadership program, Amberlee came to learn what kind of leader she wants to be, and the valuable skills to help her achieve that dream. She learned how to make effective decisions, build a team, hold people accountable, and so much more. For her, one of the greatest learning experiences was getting to experience her professors lead by example.
“I saw first-hand what a true leader is through the leadership of all my professors. They were truly knowledgeable and passionate about the topics they taught me.”
While her online college experience was positive, and her program was inspiring and fulfilling, the path to graduation was far from easy – she learned the importance of developing a good routine and prioritizing responsibilities, keeping a written calendar at all times to make sure things didn’t slip through the cracks. Amberlee also emphasized that you have to set aside time to take care of yourself and ask for help from the faculty when you need it. She shared, “The teachers are amazing, and they want to see you succeed.”
Thanks to her hard work and perseverance, Amberlee will be the first person in her family to acquire a graduate degree.
“This was a journey of self-discovery, of learning to embrace vulnerability and acknowledge that growth often comes from stepping outside our comfort zones. I learned to trust my abilities and push myself beyond my perceived limits. The obstacles gave me courage to pursue my passion wholeheartedly.”