In 2014, while Christina was already balancing school, work and raising her two kids, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. When she decided she needed to take a year-long unpaid study leave from her job in order to take more credits at school, she discovered she would not be able to cover the full tuition. “Receiving this scholarship at the time I did was an indescribable blessing, as it was exactly what I needed to pay that last bit of tuition, as well as provide the psychological boost I needed to believe that I could handle taking on the larger course load and survive as a family without my income.”
Area of Study: Business Administration, Information Systems emphasis
I have worked in the Finance Department of my organization for my entire adult life (more than sixteen years!). I want to act as the liaison between the Finance Department and the Technology department, as well as implement a new system I believe our organization needs, but I need a Bachelor’s degree to get the job and accomplish these goals.
The thing I’m most excited about at school is...
I attend an online university which requires a great deal of self-regulation and accountability. One of the cognitive symptoms I have struggled with is prioritization and scheduling, so these courses (along with the help of my fabulous cognitive therapist!) are helping me learn how to more effectively manage my time and prioritize deadlines on my own. I am far from perfect at it yet and still make more than my share of mistakes, but I have also learned that I don't necessarily have to be perfect to be effective.
One awesome thing you should know about me is…
My friends and family are everything to me; I could not be doing this without their support! From my former daycare provider giving my three year-old daughter occasional free drop-in days so I can focus on a pivotal assignment or go to my doctor, to my husband who keeps our household running when I have to lock myself away to meet a class deadline, to my mother who drives me to my infusions every four weeks and hangs out with me for four hours. Even my son said to me out of the blue one day: "Mom, do you know what I think is the hardest thing to do in life?" I didn't have the faintest idea where he was going with that question, and nearly burst into proud tears when he said "Going to college when you have two kids."