After Anderlene Streeks graduated from high school she decided to continue her education at nursing school. Her degree plans sat on a shelf, however, as she stayed home to raise her five sons.

“I always felt like I never finished,” the Ashburnham resident said. That nagging feeling of unfinished business intensified when she was filling out federal financial aid forms for her sons. A question on the form concerned whether either of the college-bound student’s parents had completed a college degree.

“I couldn’t say I had a degree, and that really bothered me,” she said. “I felt like, here I was trying to tell my kids to go to college, and I wanted to set a good example.”

With her eldest son’s encouragement, Streeks decided to give it a shot.

“I was petrified,” she said with a laugh. But after a false start at another institution, Streeks found her footing at Fitchburg State.

“It had been at least 20 years since I was in a classroom,” she said. When she arrived at Fitchburg State, Streeks found encouragement at every corner. “There was always somebody willing to help,” she said. “You really aren’t all alone.”

The online bachelor of science in nursing was attractive to Streeks, who was looking to balance her studies with the hectic schedule of her sons’ active athletic calendars.

“I have learned every Wi-Fi spot in every school,” she said with a laugh, recounting games and practices where she would cheer on her son between posting assignments. “Being able to do work online was a tremendous help to me. Even if it was 2 a.m., I could get things done.”

Streeks was also able to keep in close contact with her professors and instructors, who made time to speak with her by phone or email. That created a comfort level that made it easier to keep moving forward. “I felt like I was valued here, I was encouraged here,” she said.

To broaden her experiences Streeks also enrolled in some on-campus classes. The encouragement she received online extended to the campus, inspiring her to minor in English.

“Did I ever think I would graduate magna cum laude? Never,” she said. But she did.

Now, as Streeks ponders a return to the workforce as her own sons head off on their own higher education journeys, she finds herself spreading the enthusiasm and support she received as a student.

“The whole experience changed my life,” she said. “I promised God I would talk to every young person I see and tell them, ‘You can do this. There’s no excuse.’”

Is online education right for you?