In 2004, Sarah Davis earned her associate degree from Fisher College. Forever a Falcon, she recently decided to continue the educational journey she started 17 years ago, and to do so at her alma mater, Fisher College.
Sarah, a native of Massachusetts, moved to Arizona with her family a decade ago. Since then, she dedicated some of her time -- in between juggling her role as a stay-at-home parent -- with volunteer work to assist school-based nonprofits. She was happy to be able to work close to home while pursuing her passion -- working with students.
Remembering the personalized attention received as an online student in the early 2000s, Sarah knew Fisher College would still provide her with academic support, not to mention a sense of belonging, even while she was thousands of miles away.
“Knowing all of my credit would transfer made choosing Fisher College an easy decision,” she said. “I decided to come back to school because I have been a stay-at-home mom for over 15 years, and now that my children are older, I wanted to re-enter the workforce with more education in order to get a better job. I'm also planning to fulfill my passion for education by becoming a teacher, and a bachelor's is needed in order to teach in Arizona.”
Inspired by Fisher College's commitment to support all students and demonstrate a relentless work ethic, Sarah took control of her online education by balancing schoolwork with her busy schedule.
She said, “I really enjoyed being a Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) student, as I like that I can set my own schedule. With two busy teenagers at home and a side business I own with my husband, being able to set my own schedule and work independently was a big draw for me. I also like the quick pace of online school that Fisher provides and the ability to take extra classes to finish faster. I like the ability to work when I want, where I want, and because I enjoy traveling, it was easy to take school with me when needed.”
Along with support she received from Fisher College, Sarah’s family encouraged her to finish her degree so she could follow her dream of becoming a teacher.
“My children are old enough to understand the reasons why I want to earn my degree, and everyone came together to support me in this goal,” Sarah explained. “Fisher College was also supportive of me as an online student via email, phone calls, and the college’s online portal. I love that Fisher has a student website to allow students to see their degree audits, what classes need to be taken, and to be able to sign up for classes well in advance. I also had great help from my advisor, Allie, who was very responsive to my emails and helped me to take extra classes to finish sooner. I credit the Fisher admin team with getting me started right away and supporting me throughout the process.”
Sarah’s next step in her career is to teach. In Arizona, she is finalizing her substitute teaching certification and plans to work as a substitute until she is ready to tackle a full-time teaching position. Alongside that mission, she also plans to pursue a master’s degree in education and a minor in mathematics.
A piece of advice Sarah offers to all students considering continuing their education at Fisher College is to pursue a degree through online classes while balancing the rest of their lives. Staying organized and prioritizing education works best with a support system in place.
“I obtained both of my degrees online and my grades were better this time around because I focused on organizational skills,” Sarah said. “My family is very supportive, so I was able to get schoolwork done during the week in order to be with my kids after school and work with my husband over the weekend.”
Online degrees are a great way to further your education, and Fisher College is ready to support your efforts.