UoPeople Helped Business Administration Student Jessica Gain Confidence

Having a correct medical diagnosis doesn’t always lead to an immediate solution.

Even though Jessica knew she had dyslexia, it didn’t stop her from struggling in school no matter how hard she tried to overcome it. Not only did she have to deal with having dyslexia, but Jessica also had other health problems that made attending a traditional university difficult, so she eventually dropped out.

“I had student loans when I dropped out and that was hard for me to accept,” said Jessica, who lives outside of Baltimore. “Having loans while in school feels like par for the course but having loans and no degree feels like a real burden.”

In 2011, shortly after she got married, Jessica was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract. The disease can cause life-threatening complications.

“The diagnosis was somewhat welcome because I finally had an answer to my health concerns, but it was also scary because I didn’t know how it would limit my ability to have a family, career or travel,” Jessica said. “Between the illness, student loans, and dyslexia, I felt like every roadblock was between me and a degree.”

Two years later, Jessica was able to realize her dream of becoming a mother, but that only added another hurdle to achieving her dream of one day having a degree because having a young child at home and a career in the financial services industry meant she had a limited amount of time she could dedicate to studying.

“I spent a lot of time getting medical tests, in hospitals, and meeting with doctors,” Jessica said. “It was exhausting and hard to get my life in order as far as an education and a career. I honestly gave up trying to go to school for a while because there was no way I could sit in a class after a full day of work. The illness and the medication to treat it left me so exhausted.”

Fortunately for Jessica, her husband and his family have been supportive of her career and her dream of earning her Bachelor’s in Business Administration. It was their support that bolstered her resolve to enroll at University of the People.

UoPeople is the first non-profit, tuition-free, American, accredited, online university. The university is dedicated to opening access to higher education globally by helping people overcome financial, geographic, political, and personal constraints, keeping them from collegiate studies.

“Finding UoPeople seemed too good to be true,” Jessica said. “It gave me a chance to finish my degree without taking on any more debt. I was cautious, but quickly found an online format that allowed me to view school materials in dyslexic-friendly fonts on my computer. It was such an awakening – I wasn’t a bad student. I just didn’t have the tools to be successful in the past.”

Her 8-year-old son is also enjoying the fact that his mother is in school and has homework, too. Jessica said he loves it when they do their homework together.

“I love that I can show my son how important education is,” Jessica said. “It’s one thing to say it, it’s another to demonstrate it by working towards my degree.”

She also said that she has been able to immediately apply the lessons she has learned in classes at UoPeople to her career.

“I have received two promotions since pursuing my Bachelor’s in Business Administration at UoPeople, and I’m so much more confident in my corporate life,” Jessica said. “I expected to just get a degree, but I’ve gained so much in confidence as well.”

Jessica describes the university as being “revolutionary.”

“Why are people paying a premium for a college education when UoPeople offers the same quality and so much more,” Jessica said. “The teachers are engaged and supportive and every student has an amazing story and viewpoint to share. I can’t imagine studying anywhere else.”