After spending more than a decade treating patients of all kinds in the ER, David Buchta wanted to advance his career by becoming a nurse practitioner or staff manager. He quickly realized that, although he had years of experience, he needed a bachelor's degree to attain his professional goals.
After finding out about Penn State's online bachelor's degree in nursing, he knew he had found his path to professional success. The program gives Dave the flexibility to take classes while working 12-hour swing shifts that often end late at night.
"With three kids in school and bills to pay, moving or returning to school full time just wasn’t an option for me," he says. "Now, I can do my schoolwork when I get home at 2 or 3 a.m. instead of just watching TV or playing on the computer while my family is asleep."
Dave's wife received a nursing degree from Penn State's University Park campus and turned him into a Nittany Lion football fan in the early 1990s. Through her, Dave also saw firsthand the credibility that comes along with a Penn State degree.
"Whenever we would attend nursing conferences or other functions and she told someone that she graduated from Penn State, I saw the immediate admiration they had for her and the program," he says. "I know that after I complete my B.S.N., I will get that same recognition for my Penn State degree."
In October 2006, Dave had the opportunity to fulfill his dream of standing on the field in Beaver Stadium when he and fellow Penn State online student Stephen Krivitsky represented the World Campus at All University Day, an event in which all of the university's campuses are recognized during halftime of a football game.
"Carrying the World Campus banner for All University Day is one of the top 10 things that I’ve ever been able to do," he says. "I sat in the stands since 1993, just looking at how much fun people have on the field, so it was amazing to finally be down there myself."
"After my shift ends, I can do my schoolwork when I get home at 2 or 3 a.m. while my family is asleep."