After working in the same industry and hitting what she calls a "career plateau," Cathy McNutt realized that she needed a college education before she could go any further. McNutt turned to Penn State's convenient and flexible online bachelor of arts in law and society program to build a basis for advancement on her own terms and at her own pace.

"I believe that I have been very successful without completing my bachelor’s degree, even though it has always been a serious goal of mine," she says. "However, there came a time when I realized that I could not go any further without completing my degree."

McNutt, who works as a litigation paralegal for Countrywide Home Loans, says Penn State's online program was the perfect fit for her career path. As a litigation paralegal, she works in a very specific area of civil law and is eager to learn more about other facets of the legal world.

"The beauty of this degree is that it relates to what I'm doing," she says. "By learning about other types of law, I'm broadening my skill set while improving my performance in my current position."

In addition to furthering her own career, McNutt is also setting an example for her three teenage children by getting her degree.

"You don't get very far today without a four-year degree in any line of work. I want to show my kids that even though I'm a lot older than they are, it's still important for me to reach my goals," she says.