For Chanoah Smith, the dream never changed. Only the timing.
She’d planned to attend the University of Louisiana at Lafayette right after high school. Instead, she stayed in Baton Rouge and started college close to home but left school before earning her degree.
In the years that followed, Smith built a full life with a steady career in banking, a growing family, and all the scheduling demands that come with being a working parent. Still, the idea of finishing her degree never fully left her.
In 2024, she transferred credits she earned through a local community college to complete her business degree UL Lafayette’s online management program.
“I thought, let me just go to the school I always wanted to go to,” she says. “Online just made sense for me. I’m older now, I have a daughter, and I work full time. It was just easier.”
After more than a decade, Smith had achieved one goal and now has the key to aim even higher.
Building Momentum
Online classes were a first for Smith, but she adjusted quickly.
“It worked so much better for me. Being online just made it more manageable,” she says. “You set a schedule and work through it at your own pace.”
Juggling a full-time job, motherhood, and school meant early mornings. Her days began with a 4:30 a.m. workout, followed by getting her daughter ready and heading to work.
Homework didn’t wait for perfect moments; it happened in stolen pockets of time: lunch breaks, late nights, weekends.
Smith crafted a rhythm to keep the chaos in check.
“I would focus on one class per day throughout the week,” she says. “By the weekend, I’d have all my work done to enjoy myself.”
But she wasn’t doing it alone.
“The instructors were always available. I’d message them, and they’d get back with me either the same day or the next,” she says. “Even the staff — financial aid, enrollment support — they always answered the phone. Everything was smooth.”
Looking Ahead
Smith’s degree may be in management, but her current career is in the classroom, teaching Pre-K in Baton Rouge.
Her goal is to eventually transition into HR with the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.
She’s already taken her first step by enrolling in UL Lafayette’s MBA online program with a concentration in Human Resource Management. "I feel like I made the best decision to set myself up for that path,” she says.
Her advice for future online students? Start early, stay organized, and lean on your classmates.
“Do all the easy stuff first,” she says. “Turn your work in early, join the class group chats, talk to your classmates. It helps. And have patience, especially when you're waiting on final grades.”
Ready to take the next step in your career? Explore the online management degree or online MBA in Human Resources at UL Lafayette.