Jennifer Hovest
Fort Jennings, OH
Regis University, MS in Nursing
“This has been a very challenging, but rewarding experience,” said Jennifer Hovest of earning her Master of Science in Nursing. “I work and have four young children ranging in age from 3 to 11, so I learned quickly to multitask, remain organized, and make the commitment to complete my degree online.”
Jennifer works full time as a manager of labor and delivery and postpartum education, and her schedule varies greatly. “Sometimes I’m in at 7 a.m., sometimes at 5 a.m., sometimes I’m out at 3 p.m., and sometimes it’s 5:30,” said Jennifer. “I could fit in the online program when I had time and that was the best part.”
She heard about the online master’s degree program from a co-worker who had earned her degree from Regis University with the help of The College Network™. “She had great things to say about the program. I looked at different programs, but thought this would be the best for me.”
“Knowing someone who had gone through the program already was helpful for me,” said Jennifer. “She knew how to go to web sites and how to find research articles, and that helped a lot, having someone to help navigate from the beginning.”
“I also liked that a representative came and talked to me and answered all my questions. That was helpful,” said Jennifer. “And I liked being able to take classes and test out. That made it go much quicker for me. Any time I called to ask questions, the people were always very helpful and able to get back to me promptly.”
Jennifer decided to earn her master’s degree while her children were young. “I wanted to do it before they got really active with after-school activities. And where I work, they really encouraged me to get my master’s degree,” said Jennifer.
In 20 months, she tested out of 13 courses. “I really had to push myself to stay on track,” she said. “I didn’t want any setbacks. I wanted to get this finished and move on.”
Jennifer studied every day and emphasized the importance of being organized. “I would read through the modules once and then go through them again and take notes on what was most important or on anything I struggled with,” said Jennifer. “Then I studied my notes over and over before taking the test.”
Jennifer started as a staff nurse in labor and delivery and has been a manager in labor and delivery for the past five years. With her master’s degree, she hopes to look into administration. “I really enjoy caring for people, I have that in me,” said Jennifer. “I really enjoy my work.”
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