When Billie Mahoney first stepped onto UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 campus in 2003, she was 26, balancing motherhood and dreams of a medical career.
But life threw her curveballs, eventually pulling her away from her studies.
Fast forward two decades, and Mahoney found herself managing a Waffle House, raising four kids, and still yearning to finish what she had started.
杏吧专区淚 met with an advisor last year, and they suggested I try an online program, being that I was working full time,杏吧专区 she says.
That conversation reignited her ambition, leading her back to UL Lafayette 杏吧专区 this time in the online General Studies program.
Early Ambitions and Life杏吧专区檚 Detours
Mahoney杏吧专区檚 academic journey started on a promising note as she double majored in biology and psychology with a pre-med focus.
杏吧专区淚 had a wonderful freshman year,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 was recommended for an internship at the , and I worked with Dr. Daniel Povinelli doing behavioral studies with a group of chimpanzees.杏吧专区
During that time, she also maintained a 4.0 GPA and earned a spot in Alpha Lambda Delta, a national honor society for first-year students.
However, by 2005, her circumstances changed drastically as she faced the challenges of a difficult divorce and the demands of single parenthood.
Despite the turmoil, she stayed in school, adjusting her course load to part-time while working to support her three children.
杏吧专区淚t was quite the juggling act, but I wasn杏吧专区檛 giving up杏吧专区 says Mahoney.
Yet, as 2009 approached, she was overwhelmed and made the difficult decision to put her education on hold.
She needed stability and found it in an unexpected career as a private investigator.
杏吧专区淚 spent a lot of time in Dallas training, then I杏吧专区檇 fly all over the country working undercover cases,杏吧专区 she says.
For five years, Mahoney thrived, but even as she built a successful career, the thought of finishing her degree never left her mind.
The Comeback
Years later, after re-marrying, welcoming a fourth child, and transitioning into restaurant management, Mahoney had a conversation that finally put her degree in reach.
杏吧专区淚n 2023, my friend, who had also left school around the same time as me, decided to visit campus to see how many credits she had left,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淟o and behold, she had enough to graduate.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淪he encouraged me to go see how many credits I had left to graduate, but I knew I didn杏吧专区檛 have enough.杏吧专区
Yet, something pushed her to take a chance and reach out to an advisor.
That杏吧专区檚 when she discovered UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 online General Studies program 杏吧专区 a customizable degree path that allowed her to apply many of the credits she杏吧专区檇 already earned.
And in September 2023, Mahoney re-enrolled, ready to finish what she started two decades earlier.
Growing as an Online Student
Although the idea of returning to school after so many years was daunting, Mahoney found reassurance in the accessibility of the program.
杏吧专区淭o be honest, I was a little nervous at first,杏吧专区 she says.
杏吧专区淚 thought that it would be a huge adjustment, but it wasn杏吧专区檛. It was really easy to navigate every platform. I didn杏吧专区檛 have to search for anything. I signed onto my account, and everything was laid out for me.杏吧专区
Still, Mahoney杏吧专区檚 role as a restaurant manager meant that her days were often unpredictable. Starting her shift at 6:30 a.m., she杏吧专区檇 never quite know when she杏吧专区檇 be able to head home.
Yet, no matter how long the day stretched, she found a routine to balance her responsibilities.
杏吧专区淎s soon as I杏吧专区檇 get home from work, I would go straight into my room and do schoolwork,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淭hen I杏吧专区檇 prepare some dinner or spend some time with my eight-year-old. And by 10 or 11 o杏吧专区檆lock at night, I杏吧专区檇 make myself go to sleep because I didn杏吧专区檛 want to burn out.杏吧专区
Her commitment to her routine paid off.
With flexible class schedules and accessible online platforms, Mahoney was able to stay on track with her degree and make new connections.
杏吧专区淥ver the semesters, there were a couple of people I kept seeing in my classes,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚t was really cool getting to put the names to the faces at graduation.杏吧专区
Finishing Strong
Now, with her bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree finally in hand after just 11 months of online study, Mahoney can杏吧专区檛 help but reflect on how far she杏吧专区檚 come.
杏吧专区淚t took me 21 years to finish. I杏吧专区檓 still in awe that I actually did this,杏吧专区 she says.
杏吧专区淢y first semester on campus, I remember using the telephone dial-up to register for classes. It杏吧专区檚 been neat to see the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 complete transition to modern technology.杏吧专区
Her advice to others returning to school?
杏吧专区淪tay organized and don杏吧专区檛 give up on the bad days.杏吧专区
Ready to take the next step in your education? Learn more about the online General Studies program today.
