Kelly Smart
Clyde, NY
Excelsior College®, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Kelly Smart started out as a traditional college student attending a brick and mortar school. “I was actually going to college and my mother had to get another job to help put me through college,” Kelly says of her mother who started out as a nurse’s aid. “As I was going through college I realized that was not where I wanted to be, and I then proceeded to get a job like she did and I started out as a nurse’s aid.”
Kelly soon realized she enjoyed nursing and decided to pursue it as a career. “I realized I wanted to continue on in my career, so I went through a program to do my LPN. Once I was an LPN I realized I wanted to continue my career and be an RN. I thought about college and what I did before, and I thought I really don’t want to go to college per se, but I do want to continue my career,” Kelly explains.
After doing some research, Kelly decided The College Network’s approach to online education was the best fit for her needs. “I looked into all of these different programs and I found The College Network®. I was still able to work and continue my career. It was self-paced. It provided me with the opportunity to have my family at home. And then, I got my associates,” she says.
Kelly enjoyed the online nursing degree program so much that she enrolled in a higher education program with The College Network once she earned her associate’s degree. “It was very convenient. I didn’t have to drive to school. I didn’t have to worry about if something came up. I knew it was always there. I got my associate’s and now I’m here again—round two; I’m getting my bachelor’s,” Kelly says.
Kelly says it’s easy to stay on track in her program because she stays focused on her goal. “The motivation is there. Even though it sounds like there is nobody driving you, you drive yourself, because it is on your own terms, and you know what your goal is, and you know where you want to get so you just do it. I can’t say enough about the program. It’s great!”
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