Katie Chookagian knew she had unfinished business. She had earned her associate degree from a community college near her hometown and spent years building toward something more, working through AmeriCorps, the Disney College Program, and other roles that helped her define what she actually wanted.
Chookagian applied to Penn State World Campus in October 2024 and started her studies in January 2025. Before her first semester, she switched her major from recreation, park, and tourism management to integrated social sciences, recognizing that its focus on communication and psychology aligned better with the community-facing career she wanted. She took 15 credits per semester — 18 in one spring — and did not slow down.
"I really wanted a job that felt meaningful to me," Chookagian said. "I wanted financial security, but even more than that, I wanted to feel like my work was making a difference."
She graduated in spring 2026 and is taking away much more than just a bachelor’s degree. Through her studies as an online learner, she found community, a sense of belonging, and a confidence in herself she had spent years trying to find.
During her time at Penn State World Campus, Chookagian was a founding member of the Student Programming Board and served in multiple leadership roles. Penn State World Campus recognized her with the Heart of the Lion Community Impact Award this spring. She began her new job as a program specialist with Doylestown Township Parks and Recreation the week after finishing her final assignments.
Why did you choose Penn State World Campus?
I knew I wanted to go to Penn State. Growing up in Pennsylvania, it had always been in the back of my mind. When I decided to go back to school, I did not even consider other schools. I saw that Penn State had an online program and applied.
Online made the most sense for me. I am not a traditional-aged student, and living or commuting to a physical campus would have been difficult. Penn State World Campus gave me the flexibility I needed without making me feel like I was giving anything up.
What drew you to integrated social sciences, and how did it connect to the career you were building toward?
Integrated social sciences is a degree about people. My two disciplines were communication arts and sciences and psychology, and I chose them because I knew I wanted a career in which I would engage with others. I figured those subjects would be useful in any role with a community component.
What surprised me was how much the degree gave me beyond professional skills. I came away with a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the human experience. I feel more compassionate, more empathetic, and more prepared to make a positive impact. The education changed how I see the world, not just how I work in it.
What motivated you to keep going?
Honestly, a few things. I wanted to open doors to new career opportunities and prove to myself that I could do it. As a nontraditional student, there was real fear for a long time about whether I had what it took to finish a degree. Getting through it meant something.
My partner, Ryan, was also a huge part of this. When I did not believe in myself, he did, and that was enough to keep me moving forward.
And then there was the Penn State World Campus community, which genuinely surprised me. I never expected to build friendships through an online program, but the virtual student life at World Campus changed my experience completely. Being involved, connecting with other students who were navigating the same challenges, checking in on each other through Teams, showing up to weekly events just to decompress — all of it made a difference I did not anticipate.
What does finishing your degree mean to you?
It gave me a lot of confidence. I took the leap even though it was scary, and I came out the other side successful. I feel proud of that.
I also feel like a different person. I am more inquisitive, more thoughtful, and more understanding. I never considered myself to have a scientific mind, but I have learned to genuinely enjoy academic research. And I feel like I am now part of something much larger than myself. Penn State World Campus reaches across the globe, and somehow the "We Are" spirit still comes through on a little computer screen. That is something I did not expect, and it has stayed with me.
A Penn State education online
For Chookagian, the degree was never just a credential. It was a chance to finish what she started and become the person she wanted to be. Penn State World Campus gave her the flexibility to earn her degree online and get there on her own terms.
Ready to start your story? Penn State World Campus offers more than 200 online degrees and certificates designed to fit your life. Explore your options.
