Current occupation: Team leader in the mortgage industry
What made you decide to pursue your degree as an adult?
I enrolled in Tiffin right after I graduated with my BFA. I wanted to continue my studies in a graduate program. I absolutely love learning, and creative writing is my passion, so it was kind of just a given I was going to continue.
Why did you choose to study at Tiffin University?
I was specifically looking for a Master’s program that focused on Creative Writing, but particularly, genre fiction. Tiffin was one of the few schools that offered studies in Creative Writing focused on genre fiction rather than literary fiction.
How was your experience in the program?
I tend to be an anxious person, so just about everything makes me anxious. However, I really loved getting to know my peers, and none of my classes included content that was unexpectedly challenging or taxing. It was very informative and I learned a lot, but I never felt overwhelmed. The technology was all very easy to use too!
How was your experience with faculty?
I absolutely loved every professor I interacted with. Dr. Moore was a personal favorite of mine. He challenged me at times, but he was a truly caring professor. In every class, he did the coursework along with the students, so he would post his submission by the deadline too. I have so much respect for that mentality, and he was one of the best professors I have had throughout any of my studies. But truly, I had great experiences with all the professors really! I was also lucky as I had a lot of classes with the same peers, so I got to know some of them really well. We even kept in touch when we didn’t have classes together.
How did you juggle work, life, and going back to school? Any tips?
I like staying busy, but I never found it too much to handle. I always recommend starting early, because that helps my own anxiety about deadlines. I would often start a few weeks out for most assignments, so I knew that I would be done and could review it heavily by the deadline. It certainly does require you to be on top of your time management skills though.
What kept you motivated to stay in the program?
The desire to learn. I just love learning, and am always looking for new ways to engage my mind and continue researching topics that interest me.
What advice would you give to a prospective student who is thinking about going back to school?
There are lots of avenues to getting your degree. There is always the chance to take one or two classes a semester, and that can make it very manageable!
TU’s motto is: Without risk there is no gain. Can you tell us about a time when you took a risk and what you gained from it?
I graduated from Tiffin in May 2022. I wanted to continue my studies in a doctorate program, but I did not think I would be able to gain admission as I am not an active teacher, and many of the programs I was interested in were designed for current teachers. I still applied, even though it took a lot of time to get the application together, as well as emotional investment, knowing I may not be able to continue my studies. However, I gained acceptance to the program and just started!