When Michael Archer decided he wanted to pursue a master's degree in adult education, he was already a busy man. A newly-married homeowner working forty hours a week as a clinical lab technician, Archer had a forty-five-minute commute to and from Mount Nittany Medical Center, where he worked the third shift from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. His schedule left little room for anything else. However, having taught some classes at his church, he found himself with a strong desire to become a professional educator.

"I decided that for a change of pace I would like to teach my profession to others," Archer says. "There exists a national shortage of health care workers, so I figured being an educator was an important, worthwhile endeavor." In order to teach, however, Archer needed professional certification—and that meant earning another degree. Though he would have enjoyed the face-to-face interaction of a traditional classroom, it just wasn't an option.

"I would have had to ignore a lot of responsibilities that were important to me," Archer says, "and probably move to another town!" Distance education was the obvious answer. So he did a Google search and was pleased to discover that his own alma mater, Penn State, offered an excellent online Master of Education program in adult education through its World Campus. Given the school's reputation, and his positive experience with the school in the past, Archer decided to take the plunge.

"It was a tough two years," he says, "but it was very satisfying." Getting started wasn't easy, and finishing wasn't any easier. Halfway through the two-year program, Archer's wife gave birth to their daughter and shortly after that, his mother underwent surgery in Pittsburgh. "I actually wrote the last eleven pages of my master's paper at my mother's bedside," he remembers. "I didn't know how I'd ever get through it, but I did. Penn State was very supportive. Tech support was incredible throughout the two years. Instructors were really helpful." He got additional support and inspiration from work as well.

"After hearing about my enrollment at World Campus, the medical center's new C.E.O. and my supervisor contacted me during my second semester," Archer reports. "They wanted to know if I'd be interested in starting up a new school of clinical lab science, right at the center. I was thrilled!" Two years later, with a new degree under his belt (and another child on the way), Archer began teaching his first two students.

Having realized his dream of teaching his profession to others, Mike Archer reflects on his accomplishment with satisfaction. "Here I am starting my own program from the ground up at the medical center where I've been working for five years. Completing my master's through the World Campus has truly changed my life."