Online Learning Makes Higher Education Accessible for Military Spouses

This post is sponsored by American Women’s College, all opinions are my own.

As a military spouse, I feel such pride supporting my soldier husband unconditionally. However,  often times being a military spouse is riddled with challenges and sacrifices in support of the service member. Deployments are rampant and because of our nomadic lifestyle, it usually feels like as soon as we establish some sort of normalcy at an assigned duty station, it is time to move again. This makes it very difficult to establish our careers or maintain our jobs.

Despite the challenges, being a military spouse doesn’t have to translate to dreams deferred. I remember having to relocate to Italy from the United States right around the time I was about to secure a teaching position. When we arrived in Italy, my husband deployed and was away for the entire first year of our time there. It was difficult navigating a foreign country by myself, but I also saw it as an opportunity to further my professional growth through online education. 

With the uncertainty of military life and frequent deployments, online education is an invaluable resource for military spouses. An accredited, fully online Bachelor’s program, The American Women’s College, was created just for adult women and offers over 20 degrees in dynamic fields to afford military spouses the opportunity to seek higher education that is accommodating for their lifestyle. They even offer an accelerated program that allows you to get to the finish line quicker than the usual daunting 4 years. 

I especially love the convenience and flexibility of online education. I can complete my classes in the comfort of my living room.

When it was time to relocate to our next duty station, I was still enrolled online and had not yet completed my advanced degree. However, because it is online learning, the only challenge was figuring out time zones to ensure I met writing or participation deadlines. There were no hiccups or break in the education I was receiving because I was moving. 

Accessible education is golden for military spouses; it enables professional growth and a better quality of life. As a female, preserving my sense of self and independence are very important to me and pursuing higher education was a wonderful way for me to do so. I felt empowered to be able to attain such an accomplishment amidst the challenges of being a military spouse. 

After I completed my advanced degree online, and paired with my prior teaching experience, I was able to acquire a teaching position as a highly qualified teacher. Programs offered like the ones at The American Women’s College can help facilitate the professional growth of military spouses and I’m thankful these opportunities exist for us. xx

images: Lea Hartman