Family Affair: How One Working Mom Earned an Online Degree

Gina Padilla, 37, has a demanding full-time job. So does her husband. Active family time with their two daughters, ages 13 and 8, is extremely important to her. Needless to say, Gina has quite a full schedule with these obligations alone.

But Padilla knew that she wanted a bachelor's degree. By making reasonable modifications to their lifestyle, she and her family found ways for her to achieve her goal with an online degree. Her career has already benefited.

Q: When did you know you wanted a college degree?
A: I knew I wanted a degree when I was in high school, but life got in the way. I served in the Army Reserves for three years and on active duty for four years. When I was 25, I earned my Associate of Technology degree and immediately started taking classes towards a bachelor's degree. However, we moved a couple of times, so I just took classes here and there, whenever I could.

Q: When did you start taking online classes?
A: We moved to Bismarck in 2000. Not long afterward, I started classes at Minot State University, which is about 110 miles north of Bismarck. About three-quarters of my MSU classes were online.

Q: What were the benefits of getting an online degree?
A: I think we covered more material online than in my traditional classroom courses. Online, we'd go through the entire textbook. That usually didn't happen in the classroom.

I also loved that I could work my online classes into my schedule and decide the best time of day to do my school work. Even on group projects, the group decided the most convenient times to meet. Deadlines are always difficult, but online they became more do-able.

Q: Were there downsides to online classes?
A: Even though the process provides plenty of access to instructors and other students, I think online students have to figure more things out for themselves. But maybe that's as much a plus as a minus.

Q: How did you and your family make it work?
A: I was an administrative secretary for the North Dakota University System (NDUS), which gives employees time off to take one class per semester. That's pretty unusual, and it really helped.

My family was really supportive, and we made lots of changes. For a couple of years, the house wasn't as clean as I would have liked. We modified our family schedule around my school work. My husband took on some of my responsibilities. And we limited our kids' involvement in activities to one sport and one talent.

On the personal side, I got up earlier than usual and went to bed later than usual. I used some vacation days to work on school projects and study for tests. And I missed out on a lot of family time. But it was all worth it. I graduated from MSU in 2007 with a B.S. in MIS (management information systems).

Q: What kept you going?

A: I hated the thought of being ineligible for a job I was interested in and capable of doing, just because I lacked a degree. I hoped that my online degree would open doors for me--and it already has. NDUS recently promoted me to assistant financial aid director.

Each awakening day of a single mother's life is a struggle to endure the hardship and pain of survival. Working and playing the role of mother and father is a great responsibility.

Only the strong will truly survive in an economy, such as the United States, which is in a devastating financial crunch. Families with two parents are barely surviving. Government programs may offer help for single mothers, but sometimes this is still not enough.  Read more...