Adult learner transfers into success

When Arizona State University Online student Aleah Jameson Goodvich came to campus for graduation, she was excited for the opportunity to walk across the stage, explore Tempe, and enjoy a celebratory meal with friends and family. An unexpected bonus came as she waited in the entrance area of Comerica Theatre: a chance meeting between her and a classmate.

“She sat down beside me and after a couple of minutes, we started chatting and discovered that we took some online courses together,” Aleah says. “We stuck by each other’s side from that point on throughout the ceremony. It was really nice to have another online student to share that experience with.”

The connection was a fitting representation of her time in ASU Online’s undergraduate psychology program. From the start, Aleah says her instructors went out of their way to make students feel engaged. Whether it was sharing the available resources such as tutoring and the online library, or ensuring students knew how to access one another when doing their online work, it was easy to feel connected with helpful instructors and classes she loved.

“My biggest fear about going to school online was not having access to the resources available to on-campus students,” Aleah says. “Those fears were squashed as soon as I took orientation.”

While attending ASU Online, Aleah was also working full-time in the Transfer and Career Center at Barstow Community College in Barstow, California. She began working closely with ASU Online to promote awareness of its Guaranteed Program for Admission on the community college campus. The program helps students plan for and complete prescribed coursework designed to help them easily transfer to ASU.

“We share information about the program at our monthly transfer awareness tent,” Aleah says. “Given my experience with ASU, it’s always the first program I mention when students talk about doing something online.”

Combined with her degree in psychology, Aleah’s role at Barstow inspired her to continue on with her education after graduating from ASU Online in December 2018. Her ultimate goal is to become a counselor at the community college, a position which requires a master’s degree.

“I enjoy working with students and being able to take a process like transferring, which might sound complicated, and simplify it to show it’s not as scars as it may seem,” she says. “I want to help students realize their potential and guide them through achieving educational goals.”

In January, Aleah began working toward her master’s in college counseling and student affairs. She credits her major in psychology for giving her a solid foundation in concepts that have carried over into her new counseling classes.

Her best advice to potential online students: do your research.

“With ASU, everything is so simple,” she says. “I had a question about financial aid, and someone was able to answer it right away. The instructors have rubrics for the assignments, and everything a student needs is at their fingertips. There are no barriers, and you’re not clicking through five links to find what you need for an assignment. It’s all very visual and right where you expect it to be.”

Learn more about the ASU Online bachelor’s degree in Psychology.