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M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction Student, Lori Rill
Lori Rill knows firsthand how important it is for distance education to adapt to one's lifestyle and the changes that come with it. A full-time teacher and mother of two, Rill decided that she would have to put her education on hold while she tended to the other matters in her life. She knows, however, that she will be able to resume her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction whenever she is ready, because of the flexibility of Penn State Online. "To me, it's not the course grade or completing the program, but the process of getting there that makes it all worthwhile," she says.
Embarking on a second master's degree through Penn State World Campus was not initially part of the plan Rill had for herself, but she eventually decided that taking a sabbatical and taking classes online would enable her to stay at home with her baby. Rill was midway through her second online course when her son, Seth, was born. "I was content and secure in my teaching job," she explains. "Only after I had to embrace the change in my life that I was going to become a mother did I decide that this new plan in my life might be accessible."
Penn State helped Rill make her plan more accessible through its multiple resources for students, allowing her to complete work at her own pace—giving her plenty of time to care for her infant son and get some well-deserved rest. "Penn State offered a combination of prestige, an educational program that interested me, and convenience in terms of the online format and access to Penn State resources," she explains. Rill says that taking online classes has also helped improve her technology skills, which were shaky before she started the program.
After having a second son, Rill decided in the fall of 2005 that she would take a break from her classes and return to teaching full-time. She hopes to finish the second half of her master's degree over the next several summers. Penn State Online, unlike a traditional university, will allow her to continue her education whenever she is ready. Although she has not yet finished her degree, she has already begun using her curriculum-related skills in her current teaching position.
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