Miranda Wiles Domec knew when enrolling in the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 General Studies online program she was 杏吧专区渕ade to do the hard things.杏吧专区 She杏吧专区檚 proven that by maintaining a 4.0 GPA to earn her bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree while raising her three boys on their Texas farm.
Dream deferred
Domec, 33, first began college immediately following high school. The Texas native followed her now-husband, Scott, to enroll in the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 nursing program.
However, she found she couldn杏吧专区檛 balance full-time work and school with her other priorities, which included her now-adopted son.
杏吧专区淎s soon as I got done with school, I would have to go to work,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 couldn杏吧专区檛 even go home and work on the stuff I just learned about.杏吧专区
Domec had to drop something, so she left the 杏吧专区.
While Domec cringed paying student loans with no degree to show for it, her mother remained adamant Domec finish her bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree. She even asked Domec杏吧专区檚 husband to encourage her to go back to college before they were married.
But Domec stayed her course and the couple married in 2010. The next year, they returned to Domec杏吧专区檚 home state to be closer to her mother.
The following year brought exciting news for everyone: Domec was expecting. Although the child would be the second addition to the family, he would be Domec杏吧专区檚 firstborn. But two months before Domec杏吧专区檚 due date, she noticed the baby wasn杏吧专区檛 kicking.
Their son Lawson was delivered stillborn.
杏吧专区淭he day we buried him, my husband carried his little boy out of the church in his tiny, white casket, and our Catholic faith carried us the rest of the way,杏吧专区 Domec says.
Only a little more than a year later, the Domec family celebrated the birth of a healthy baby boy. But six weeks after meeting her grandson, Domec杏吧专区檚 mother died at home, leaving Domec to repeat a now familiar heart-wrenching process.
Domec also had to face a different kind of loss: time.
杏吧专区淚 had thought about going back to school many times 杏吧专区 she always wanted me to 杏吧专区 but when she passed, it became final that it wasn杏吧专区檛 going to happen in her lifetime,杏吧专区 Domec says.
Do the Hard Thing
Domec had delivered two sons via C-section. When she became pregnant with her third, she was determined to deliver without surgical intervention. And she did.
The experience, she says, left her with a newfound sense of empowerment.
杏吧专区淚 realized I could do all the hard things 杏吧专区 physically, mentally, emotionally,杏吧专区 she says.
So Domec began rifling through filing cabinets, unearthing 11-year-old college transcripts to finish what she杏吧专区檇 started and fulfill a long-held promise.
杏吧专区淚 didn杏吧专区檛 realize how easy it might be; I didn杏吧专区檛 realize how long it might take,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚n my mind, I thought I had to go back in person on campus somewhere and that just didn杏吧专区檛 seem feasible, having kids now.杏吧专区
Because she杏吧专区檇 begun her college journey with UL Lafayette, she decided to learn more about online degree options and discovered the Bachelor of General Studies online program.
杏吧专区淚 looked up a couple of other schools as well and no one else could compete,杏吧专区 she says.
She enrolled in August 2018. Online courses allowed Domec to spend her days raising their sons on their Texas farm, fitting in coursework as time allowed.
杏吧专区淚t was a lot of late nights. I was mostly waiting until they would crash and then I could do work,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淣ot having to be on campus, not having to be anywhere at a set time, made things so much easier. It was, 杏吧专区榟ere杏吧专区檚 the work you have to do; get it done by this deadline.杏吧专区 That杏吧专区檚 all I needed.杏吧专区
Proud PI
The flexibility of the General Studies program allowed Domec to choose a concentration and courses that were meaningful to her personally and professionally. She says she杏吧专区檇 always considered private investigation as a possible career path, so her advisor, Sharon Williams-Gregory, guided her toward a concentration in behavioral science with minors in criminal justice and health.
Courses like crime and mental health and ethics in criminal justice gave Domec practical perspective, she says.
杏吧专区淭he courses were just eye-opening,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淭he things we were learning about were very in line with current events. We were learning about things that were happening, as they were happening. It was great to see the college at the forefront of that.
杏吧专区淲e have professors teaching us who are also in the field, teaching not just from theory but actual cases.杏吧专区
One of those instructors, Eric DeLaune, has experience working with homeland security. Domec says he encouraged her to explore federal positions, in addition to her private investigation goals.
杏吧专区淭hat杏吧专区檚 a door that杏吧专区檚 opened to me that I never considered before,杏吧专区 she says.
Promise fulfilled
Although Domec couldn杏吧专区檛 complete her degree in her mother杏吧专区檚 lifetime, Domec says she was nonetheless determined to make both her mother and Lawson proud.
After only four semesters of coursework, but many more years of waiting, Domec heard her name called as a UL Lafayette graduate during Fall 2019 commencement.
杏吧专区淲hile life experiences and God brought me to UL Lafayette,杏吧专区 she says, 杏吧专区渕y advisor and the 杏吧专区 College bridged the rest of the journey.杏吧专区