Rachel Renor, from Detroit, Michigan, earned a University Studies bachelor's degree in the NDSU degree completion program.
Rachel Renor returned to NDSU to complete her degree after leaving higher education almost a decade ago.
She started at a community college in Michigan and later transferred to NDSU due to her interest in an online program. Family responsibilities became her top priority and she was unable to finish. She finally earned a bachelor’s degree in University Studies last summer.
Getting a degree was important for personal and professional reasons. She’s also grateful to have the opportunity to continue her education even further.
“It was a goal that I set for myself and my family, so I could have better employment opportunities and help provide for my children,” said Renor, from Detroit, Michigan.
NDSU’s degree completion program interested Renor because it took a short time and allowed her to focus on her areas of interest – human development and family science and psychology. She currently is working as a caseworker in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Renor said NDSU offered support and flexibility during her transition back to college.
“My advisor and professors were easy to work with and understood the challenges I faced as a student with a family and other responsibilities,” she said. “The online courses allowed flexibility to work on them when I had time.
“There were times when I questioned if I could do it, but each time I passed a class I knew I was one step closer to my goal.”
She was excited to hold a diploma in her hand. “I just admired it for a few minutes, knowing the long journey I’d been through to get it,” Renor said.
Renor encourages anyone interested in returning to finish their degree to begin the process.
“You’ll never look back and regret getting it. There is no perfect time in your life to finish, so why not start now?” she said.
Students returning to finish their degree will find specialized support to meet their needs through the NDSU Degree Completion Program. Jessie Bauer, assistant director of student success initiatives at the NDSU Career and Advising Center, works with students in the program to help them succeed at NDSU and prepare for their future.
“The first step is to just reach out and see what you may have left,” Bauer said. “We can work with students to go as fast or as slow as they want and help them fit in classes with everything they have going on in their lives. We really want to help students reach their goal, no matter what that may look like.”
Degree completion students can start their NDSU experience by filling out the interest form or emailing Bauer to schedule an appointment in person or via Zoom.
