Paloma Marinelarena
2017 Graduate, BA in Criminal Justice
Paloma retired from the El Paso Sheriff's office after 10 years there -- she started her BA in Criminal Justice online so she could get her degree while working. Her job involved oddly-timed shifts on occasion and the online format was convenient, but this was her first experience with online learning. Now that she has graduated, she plans to take a completely different approach to criminal justice but credits her online experience with helping her get to this point.
Why she chose the Criminal Justice program:
Due to the nature of work in my career, I was unable to attend school, physically. The online version gave me the opportunity to be able to continue with school.
Her thoughts on online learning:
It was amazing. It made everything much easier for me. I was able to do work whenever I needed to, but on my own terms and on my own time. (Support) was constant and whenever I needed assistance, I would email and would have a response within 24 hours.
On the availability of campus resources to her as an online student:
It was all available to us. It was up to us whether we wanted to use it or didn’t. But it was there.
On her overall experience:
If I could continue online schooling, I would...it’s a lot more work, but it's so much easier. When you are doing online schooling, its more teaching yourself. You get to speak to professors or they get to email you to send you the work, but other than that you are on your own. Time management, you have to make sure that you are the one that is doing everything.
What she plans to do next:
I just actually got accepted into UTEP Graduate School. I will be continuing my education to get my master's in rehabilitative counseling. I think it would have been kinda rhetorical if I would have gotten a master's in Criminal Justice. So, I decided that, rather than incarcerating people, I’ll now be able to assist people.
What she would say to a a prospective online student:
I think it’s mainly specifically for people who think that they can’t do or can’t work and go to school. Ah, the online program is an amazing opportunity for one to better or for one to continue one’s education. This is that one chance that one now has to get a degree. There’s no more excuses.
Watch Paloma's entire interview