Our “Global Campus Legends” series celebrates the 30th anniversary of WSU Global Campus by putting a spotlight on the unique experiences and journeys of Global Campus students throughout the years. Global Campus Legends features students who graduated from Global Campus since it was founded as WSU Extended Degree Programs in 1992.
“My journey at WSU began in Pullman as a freshman in September 1968. It was a wonderful time and I found community, direction, and a purpose I needed at that time in my life. Unfortunately, after 2 1/2 years, my journey ended as I had to return home to help take care of my siblings. However, I promised myself that one day I would return to WSU and complete my degree and in September 1998 that dream came true when I enrolled in the WSU Extended Degree Program…” | Read more from Susie Beador
“My story begins like so many others. I started college after high school but couldn’t find my stride. I joined the military, started a family, and got busy with life. After many years of working in backbreaking construction and facility maintenance, I was working as a corrections officer at the county jail when I decided I finally needed to go back and finish my degree in order to get somewhere in this life. As a full-time worker and full-time single parent, attending school in a physical classroom was not an option for me…” | Read more from Mary Senter
“After working as an Occupational Therapy Assistant for 5 years at a school district in Seattle, I decided it was time to finish my bachelor’s degree. I was thrilled I could complete it online! I started my journey and finished my BA, but then decided: ‘what the heck, why don’t I just get my Master’s of Education?’ Oh, and I could do that online too!…” | Read more from Tricia Jennings
“My schooling was interrupted after 2 1/2 years of college credit by an early marriage and “life.” Living in a rural community in south central Washington, I was isolated from educational opportunities. In 1993, I discovered WSU’s Extended Degree Program and got to work on fulfilling my lifelong goal of being a college graduate…” | Read more from Sidne Steindorf
For me it was always going to be WSU. I like to tell people I’ve been a Coug since birth, even though no one in my family had gone to college. I didn’t start seriously considering getting a degree until I was in my forties, and WSU Global Campus was a perfect fit…” | Read more from Kassy Ellefson
“My journey to WSU Global Campus started when my daughter Christina Turner attended WSU and graduated in 2012. As parents, we loved the experience she had as a student, as well as our experience as parents coming to WSU and Pullman. This helped me decide to honor a promise I made to my mother many years ago to someday complete my education by obtaining my BA degree. It became my plan to finish my degree before I retired from Boeing…” | Read more from Carlton Turner
“Having completed my AA degree at community colleges in California, I planned to continue and get my bachelor’s degree. However, life changes, and I moved to northeastern Washington to homestead and start a family.
When my two children were aged one and three, I decided it was time to go back to school…” | Read more from Shasta Pettijohn
“I started at WSU in 1976 after a stint in the military. While in Pullman, I met someone who would later become my wife. She graduated in 1978 and when she left WSU, I decided to follow her back to the west side of the state. I had always regretted not completing my degree, so after many years I decided to try the Distance Degree Program…” | Read more from Gary Fox
“For some, figuring out exactly what you want to do with your life can be a challenge and can take some time. In August of 2013, I found myself in the situation where I finally figured out what I wanted to do, be a User Experience Researcher—but now I needed to take the steps to pursue my goal. Finishing my undergrad was one big hurdle that I needed to overcome. WSU’s Global Campus was instrumental in helping me achieve my goal…” | Read more from Tim Bridgham
“Graduating at 55 years of age from California with WSU Online was a heartfelt moment. I had completed my first three years at WSU Pullman, Stephenson East, then left after my junior year to marry. I struggled over the years to complete my degree at various colleges from George Washington University, to USF, to California State Hayward, but even though my intentions were good, my work and life stifled my dream of graduating. WSU Online gave me a lifeline with a way to graduate…” | Read more from Pamela Griffin