Life can come at you fast. Sometimes, that means putting your priorities on hold. For Pacific Oaks College alumnus and Chicago resident Stephen Anderson, it meant waiting until his mid-30s to pursue his bachelor’s degree.
Ironically, Anderson had been working in the field of higher education for years as an enrollment coordinator. But the daily demand of work combined with responsibilities at home made pursuing his own education difficult, if not impossible. He also wasn’t sure what type of degree program could best benefit his career long term.
Then, he discovered Pacific Oaks through his work in admissions operations at Pacific Oaks’ partner organization, The Community Solution Education System.
“When I looked into Pacific Oaks, I realized the human development program could lead me down a variety of career paths,” Anderson says. “It’s a degree that can set you up for success in many different things. In my position at The Community Solution Education System, I would notice that graduates in human development were continuing their education with a master’s in organizational leadership, counseling, counseling psychology, marriage and family therapy, or any other number of fields.”
In addition to working a full-time job with The Community Solution Education System, Anderson has a passion for fashion. He designs custom shoes during his time off and believes his degree can help him with this passion as well.
“At the core of learning human development you learn about the human mindset and how to engage communities,” he says. “So that definitely can play a part in helping to develop new products that align with the communities I am promoting them to. It can also influence strategies that I can use to help give back to the community.”
The fact the human development program is offered online gave Anderson greater flexibility to balance work and personal life with his educational goals. He also didn’t need to leave Chicago, his hometown. “I think I even surprised myself,” he says. “Because through it all—working full time and managing a team—I was still able to graduate from a school 2,000 miles away with a 4.0 GPA. It wasn’t a walk in the park, but what I came away with was knowledge and experience that I know to this day I am still using.”
He did decide to finally make a trip to visit Pacific Oaks for a particularly special occasion: graduation. He recalls the thrill of finally getting to meet his online classmates and instructors who had supported him on his journey and challenged him to be better.
“It was a culminating moment for me. I’ve been trying to finish that cornerstone of my education for roughly eight years,” he says. “It seemed like stuff just kept popping up and getting in the way. But I just wasn’t taking no for an answer this time. It’s something I worked very hard for and I just had to celebrate. I had to make it happen. I couldn’t go through all of that and not be at graduation. Everyone pushed me to be better, and finally meeting my classmates and teachers at graduation was a moment I’ll never forget.”
Anderson believes the culture Pacific Oaks has worked to develop can be felt far beyond the campus classrooms. It is a culture of community reflected in the online programs, too. After finally graduating with his B.A. in Human Development at the age of 36, he credits his experience at Pacific Oaks with helping him move his career forward—he was recently promoted to director of admissions operations at The Community Solution Education System.
“Going to college is never what you expect,” Anderson says. “But during my online program at Pacific Oaks College, there was a sense of community and support that gave me the confidence to finish my degree. Online school can be a challenge, but Pacific Oaks makes it worthwhile.”
Learn more about Pacific Oaks College
If you would like to learn more about the human development programs available at Pacific Oaks, fill out the form below to request more information, or you can apply today through our application portal.
