Stay-At-Home Mother Kickstarts Career With Master's in Public Health

Ashley Sullivan — a 29-year-old wife and mother of two — is graduating with her Master of Public Health this April.

Sullivan started her Utah State University career as an undergraduate, where she obtained a degree in health education. This sparked her passion for healthcare and the overall public health of her community.

Her mother was an Aggie alumn, also in health education, and helped Sullivan discover her initial intrigue of health education and public health.

She selected her online public health degree initially due to the flexibility it provided her as a stay-at-home mother and rural resident of Box Elder County.

Balancing coursework with a job plus motherhood can be difficult, Sullivan said, but USU's online programs provided her with a pliable schedule where she could do homework during naptime or after the kids went to bed for the night.

After graduating she hopes to work as an online professor of public health.

"I love learning and so being a teacher will continue that endeavor and provide me with the flexibility to be a stay-at-home mom," she added.

Sullivan advises all those contemplating an online degree to self-evaluate their skills of organization and discipline prior to pursuing an online degree.

According to Sullivan, a majority of online education lacks interpersonal connections, so it is vitally important to be self-motivated and solidify timeframes for work, school and sociality.

Lastly, she encourages all USU students to go for it and seek to reach their goals.

"Once you get past that barrier of initial hesitation, it is amazing what you can do," Sullivan said.