Dreams Come True with Online Degrees

Jorgensen: “Though my journey took 17 years from when I graduated high school, it feels amazing to finish.” Vendi Advertising

They’ve taken detours and traveled winding roads, but through perseverance and fully online learning, a pioneering cohort of returning adult students arrived at their dream destination: a degree from UW–Madison. Last spring, 29 Badgers received their diplomas and the distinction of being among the first graduates of UW–Madison Online.

UW–Madison Online launched in 2020 to increase access to the university for students who can’t attend in person and want to balance work, family, or other obligations. It’s designed for people who have earned some college credits or an associate degree and want to complete their bachelor’s. There are currently three online bachelor’s degree programs from the Wisconsin School of Business in human resources, management, and marketing, as well as a bachelor’s in nursing.

“The success of our first cohort underscores the creative ways to enable access through online education,” says Provost Charles Lee Isbell Jr. “It demonstrates the transformative power of education to break down barriers and empower individuals to realize their full potential and their dreams.”

First-generation college student Manny Avila ’24 started in person at UW–Madison in 2002 but left to take time off for his family and career. More than 20 years later, he completed his bachelor’s while working full time and raising his son.

“My son was nine at the time I restarted college, and I could see how he mimicked everything I did, which led me to set an example that school is important,” Avila says. “I’m proud to finish my degree so that he can follow my steps one day.”

Kristy Jorgensen ’24’s high school counselor told her she wasn’t college material, but the working mom finished her bachelor’s degree with UW–Madison Online.

“My parents worked on campus in maintenance when I was a kid, so I got to know the campus space very well,” says Jorgensen. “UW–Madison has always been my dream school.”

Jorgensen is the first in her family to complete a bachelor’s degree. “Though my journey took 17 years from when I graduated high school,” she says, “it feels amazing to finish.”

Published in the Fall 2024 issue