Student Stories

Occupational therapy is Emma McClellan’s second career. She originally went to art school and worked in metal shops and bronze foundries. When two coworkers each lost a finger, she found herself interested in their exercises and the difference their OT made for them. “I watched them go from despair to feeling like they got their...Read More

Here I am nearing the end of my college career as a social work student, quarantined during a worldwide pandemic, COVID-19. Due to COVID-19, we aren’t allowed to go inside any restaurants, have any large gatherings, and if we must go out for essentials, we must practice social distancing to avoid contracting and spreading the...Read More

The coronavirus pandemic has been an unprecedented time for everyone, and students are no exception. As a full-time, on campus EKU MPA student, the pandemic completely altered the way I am receiving my education. Midway through the semester, along with many other students in this country and around the world, my courses were shifted to...Read More

Dominique Blessin started college ten years ago, but she dropped out after only a few weeks. Now that she is enrolled in the EKU Online criminal justice degree program, she knows this time is different. This time, she’s earning her degree for herself and her two kids. She knows the value of an education, and...Read More

As a city administrator for the City of Berea, David Gregory draws on more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement and the lessons he’s learned in the EKU Online master’s of public administration program. Gregory worked his way up from police officer to sergeant to lieutenant before taking the helm at the Berea...Read More

Online psychology major Sydney Garner Lewis is the undergraduate recipient of the EKU Omega Nu Lambda scholarship. The senior from Berea, Ky. has taken a unique journey as she pursued her bachelor’s degree – quite literally. She’s a proud Army wife who currently lives in Kaiserslautern, Germany.Read More

On a Tuesday in early November, Capt. Michael Mathes was enjoying a rare day off from his job with the Texas Highway Patrol. He had just pulled into his driveway in Waller, a rural community outside Houston, when he heard a loud noise that made him turn around.Read More

Nearly a decade after she dropped out of high school, Kelli Jo was washing the breakfast dishes and watching three small children play when Reba McEntire’s “Is There Life Out There?” played on the radio. In that moment, her life changed.Read More

Lt. Amy Blades-Langjahr stopped by the Eastern Kentucky University campus to visit the professors and staff who supported her throughout her EKU Online degree program. The 21-year veteran of the United States Navy had recently completed her bachelor’s degree in fire, arson and explosion investigation. She hoped to walk across the stage on graduation day,...Read More