When Dr. Jennifer Koel was searching for a university
to pursue her PhD, she wanted to stay true to her desire
to focus on Early Childhood Education and NCU
offered this specialization. As a working mother of three
children, she found an online option perfect for her
situation. "NCU didn't require me to fly someplace to
meet other students and professors and that was import-
ant to me knowing that I didn't have to prepare to leave
my family."
"Overall, I had a wonderful experience at NCU. The
continuous start dates kept me moving forward. The
ability to complete my online work any time throughout
the week was easy to adjust to. Being a night owl, I
was able to work on my studies while everyone in the
house was sleeping. I felt supported with the online
resources. When I got to the Dissertation Phase I was
navigating through unknown territory. NCU made this
journey possible with their 1:1 mentoring program. My
mentor, Dr. Sharon Kimmel was AMAZING! We devel-
oped a working relationship and she guided my steps
along the way from beginning to end."
Dr. Koel adds that graduation and meeting her mentor
there were moments she will never forget. "I had many
naysayers that did not think that online education was
'real'. Well, it is more than real and it takes a lot of grit
to pursue a degree online. I'm thankful for the high
quality education that I received at NCU. I'm proud to
be an alumni!"
MEET OUR
GRADUATES…
JENNIFER KOEL
PhD in Education (2018)
Early Childhood Development
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