Jacob Lungren always had his sights set on attending Arizona State University. “I originally attended a university in Idaho for three years,” he says. “But then I moved down to Phoenix with aspirations of graduating from ASU.” However, when he first arrived in Phoenix, he began working in the hospitality industry and soon was offered a management position that would require more time at work and mean putting off school for the time being. “It was a difficult decision, but for personal and financial reasons I took the promotion and began what would become a nine-year sabbatical from my studies,” he says.
A resort, three restaurants, and a marriage with child later, Lungren’s wife asked if he would be willing to trade places with her and become a stay-at-home dad. “She had always planned on becoming a teacher,” he says. “And she had recently been approached by her alma mater with a great job offer.”
Lungren has been home with his son now for a couple of years but has never stopped thinking about his desire to complete his education and earn a college diploma. He looked into the school that brought him to Phoenix initially. “Being home with my son is, of course, a priority. Therefore, traditional on-campus classes were not a realistic option,” he says.
Enter ASU Online.
Lungren is now a student at ASU completing his degree - online - in Liberal Studies. “Sometimes it is very difficult finding time to get everything done. On top of housework, parenting, and schoolwork, I also volunteer at the YMCA coaching my son's soccer team,” he says. “With online classes I can get my work done when I have the time. I do not have to be in a given place at a given time several times per week, so except for meeting my assignment deadlines, I have complete freedom of when and where to get my studies done.”
And he will be done soon, completing his degree in May 2012. “ASU Online has given me the chance to accomplish my goal of graduating from a high-caliber institution without having to commute to Tempe,” he says.
When he returns to the workforce, Lungren plans to go back into hotel and restaurant management or become a teacher at the elementary level. No matter what direction his career takes him, he knows he has been an inspiration to his son. “I think that when Abe gets older, the fact that both of his parents graduated from college will subconsciously sway him to also pursue a secondary education,” he says. He, his wife, and son are all looking forward to his graduation ceremony next spring. “The memory of walking will be something I cherish the rest of my life,” says Lungren.
