Julie Chambers was not a good student. Or so she thought.
Today the 51-year-old is “living the dream” as she pursues her Master of Science in Counseling at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, after attaining her bachelor’s degree in General Studies online.
Like many, although she had never pursued a college degree, Chambers had a full career.
She completed high school and immediately went into the workforce as a secretary at a radio station. From there, an opportunity arose to go into sales.
But she wasn’t happy. Sales had been lucrative for Chambers, but, she says, she didn’t have pride for what she did.
“I ended up doing really well because I’m a relationship builder, but I really did not like it so I was continually searching,” she says. “It never occurred to me that I could go back to school. I was a ‘bad student.'
“It’s not like I didn’t have a good work ethic or I wasn’t ambitious. I didn’t fit into the standardized testing stuff.”
Forging a New Career Path
Through volunteer work, Chambers homed in on counseling.
She wanted to help people and decided a two-year degree was “manageable,” enrolling in a two-year addiction recovery program at an Austin, Texas, community college. Chambers did well, and her instructors encouraged her to enroll at a four-year institution to pursue a degree in counseling or social work.
As Chambers prepared to enroll at the University of Texas at Austin, she began having health problems.
Over the course of several years, Chambers put school on hold as she focused on her health. The Crowley native moved back home in 2008.
When she felt like she was finding her footing again, Chambers again enrolled in community college courses, but, again, had to drop out because of health problems.
“That was a lot of years,” she says. “I didn’t know if I’d be able to work again.”
In August 2017, Chambers saw a counselor to "figure out what to do with (her) life." The counselor was a former UL Lafayette professor and told her about the Master of Counseling program.
As Chambers researched the program, she found UL Lafayette also offered an online bachelor's in general studies.
Finding Support
She filled out the online request form and soon heard back from the Online Student Support Team.
“I think I emailed the night before, and she responded next day,” Chambers says. “We talked about it, and she was like, ‘you can totally do this; I can tell you’re motivated.’”
From there, Dr. Gail Bonhomme, University College, picked up the baton to not only get Chambers enrolled but keep her on track.
“I was in class the next Monday,” Chambers says. “They really got me in so fast and allowed it to happen.”
When Chambers’ final semester included a Shakespeare class, Chambers felt like she might crumble under her schedule, but Dr. Bonhomme cheered her forward.
“It’s a different experience,” Chambers says. “Calling (flagship state universities), it is not as welcoming, and it helps with motivation when you feel like the school wants you to be there.”
Setting off for the Future
Chambers says because of her health and physical restrictions, hauling books to and across campus multiple days a week for a bachelor’s degree would have been taxing or even impossible.
But learning online meant she could create her own accommodations and schedule for when her energy was at its peak.
“Being online, I could make my own schedule so I could rest when I needed to. It was amazing,” she says. “If you have other things going on — work, family, pain, whatever — it allows you to get it done.”
Chambers graduated Aug. 3, 2018. Two weeks later, she began the Fall 2018 semester as a graduate student in UL Lafayette’s Counseling Master’s program. She says she was able to enroll because she had time to grow physically and academically stronger while attaining her degree and gain the confidence she needed to pursue more advanced coursework.
Now, she’s looking to the future and envisions private practice.
“My health is good again so — 51-years-old living the dream. It’s a good thing.”
Learn about how you can start working toward your career goals through one of the online degree programs at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette by requesting more information today.