Elisa Shackelton worked for Colorado State University Extension in a rural area of Colorado.
While working full-time, she earned a Master of Agriculture degree in Extension Education through CSU's
online degree program, and now is Director of Colorado Outreach for the CSU Alumni Association in Fort Collins,
a vibrant town that Money magazine recently ranked #2 in the US in their list of Best Places to Live.
Here's what she has to say about CSU distance education:
- Without distance education, it would be financially and physically impossible to attain a
graduate degree while living in remote Northwestern Colorado. It was wonderful being able to work on my degree
from the convenience of my home and office, and on a schedule that was flexible enough to accommodate my work and family schedule.
- Working for CSU Extension, I was interested in learning more about the Land-Grant university Extension
system, as well as broadening my knowledge base relative to Colorado agricultural issues. The CSU Master of
Agriculture program helped me become a better Extension professional by providing me with current knowledge and skills I could immediately apply to my work. It also helped me create new partnerships in my community, since several of the courses required working collaboratively with local professionals in weed and pest management, natural resource management, and county government.
- As an Administrative Professional, it was great to be able to decrease the cost of an advanced degree by
using the CSU Study Privilege of six credits each academic year at no charge for tuition or general fees.
Anyone who doesn't take advantage of an employer's tuition benefit (whether they are pursuing a degree or not) is really missing out on a fantastic opportunity for professional and intellectual growth!
- The best thing about distance education courses is that you can learn at your own pace.
I like to dig in and get a class done quickly, so distance ed allowed me to take things faster than I would have had to in a classroom setting.
- I learned SO many things in my Master's of Agriculture program! From now being able to knowledgably
talk with our weed and pest management staff about weed and mosquito control, to having started an office
recycling program, to teaching a new parenting program that I developed for my research course,
I use the knowledge I gained almost every day, both at work and at home!
- "If you aren't learning, you aren't living."
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