Chelsea Thomas built her career around helping people stay safe and well long before she ever stepped into a classroom.
After nearly a decade in workers杏吧专区 compensation insurance, she found herself drawn to the occupational health and wellness side of the work.
杏吧专区淚 looked into online programs, and UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 online program offered classes on occupational health and safety,杏吧专区 Thomas says.
That杏吧专区檚 what pushed her to pursue a B.S. in Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Wellness degree online from the 杏吧专区.
Finding a Program That Fit Her Life
Thomas knew she needed a degree that matched both her interests and her reality.
She lived in DeRidder, a small town in southwest Louisiana. She worked full time and was raising her young daughter.
Driving back and forth to campus simply wasn杏吧专区檛 an option. An online program was the only path that made sense.
UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 Health Promotion and Wellness curriculum stood out immediately. The occupational health and safety courses aligned with the part of her job she enjoyed most.
Plus, the online format gave her the flexibility to balance school with work, parenting, and her commitments at church.
杏吧专区淚 had to make a schedule and block out time to do classwork,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淥therwise, I杏吧专区檇 forget about it. It杏吧专区檚 self-paced, and you turn in work when it杏吧专区檚 due. That was hard at first.杏吧专区
But once she found her rhythm, the format became exactly what she needed: accessible, flexible, and realistic for her family杏吧专区檚 schedule.
Support That Kept Her on Track
Even with a solid schedule, balancing school, work, and family was challenging. Thomas credits the program杏吧专区檚 faculty and advisors for helping her stay on track.
杏吧专区淭he teachers were fantastic. They were so helpful. My advisor made sure I was completely covered, from keeping me on track with the classes I needed to answering all my questions.杏吧专区
She recalls one moment when she turned in a paper late: 杏吧专区淭he instructor said, 杏吧专区榃ell, you get one oops each semester,杏吧专区 and let me turn it in for some credit. That kind of understanding made a huge difference.杏吧专区
Regular office hours and responsive emails kept her connected, even from two hours away.
杏吧专区淓ven if I emailed outside of their scheduled times, I usually had a response by the next day,杏吧专区 she adds.
Applying What She Learned
Since graduating, Thomas has shifted her focus from insurance to the classroom. Now a second-grade teacher, she杏吧专区檚 finding new ways to bring her health knowledge to life.
杏吧专区淢y kids think I know everything,杏吧专区 she laughs. But Thomas uses her research skills and understanding of wellness to teach them healthy habits and ways to prevent getting sick.
She hopes to eventually move into a health education role, which would allow her to put her degree directly into practice.
Balancing school with work, parenting, and daily life wasn杏吧专区檛 easy, and Thomas杏吧专区 advice reflects that reality.
杏吧专区淪chedule your time,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淕et a planner, print the syllabus, write down what assignments are due, and block out time specifically for classwork. That helped me stay on track.杏吧专区
Unlock new paths with an online degree in kinesiology, health promotion and wellness.
