Making Online Learning Work When Life Is Full
For Mariah, returning to college was not something that happened during a quiet or carefully planned season of life. It took place in the middle of a full one. As a mother of four young children, two of whom she homeschools, her days are already packed with responsibility. With a husband whose job frequently takes him out of state for extended periods, she often manages everything on her own. When the idea of going back to school first came up, her reaction was immediate and honest. She wondered, “How could I fit one more thing into my very busy day?”
Mariah originally began her college journey shortly after graduating from high school. She lived on campus and attended classes during her first year, but like many students, life intervened. After stepping away from school, she built a successful career in cosmetology, becoming a licensed Texas cosmetologist for 14 years. In 2018, her priorities shifted again when she and her husband welcomed their first daughter, and Mariah became a stay-at-home mother. Over the years, her family grew to four children, and her focus centered on caring for them and homeschooling her oldest two.
A minor hand injury led Mariah to pause and reassess her future. She began asking herself difficult questions about whether she could physically return to full-time work in a salon, if needed, and whether she still had the same passion for that career path. When the answer to both was no, she felt unsettled and unsure of what came next. When someone suggested she return to school, the idea initially felt unrealistic. Still, the thought lingered. After weeks of reflection, one night after putting her children to bed and without telling anyone, Mariah took a leap. As she recalls, “One night, after I put my kids to bed and without telling anyone, I submitted my application to SHSU.”
Returning to school would mean returning to a digital classroom. Online learning wasn’t a matter of convenience; as she explains, “choosing to pursue my degree online wasn’t a choice, it was truly the only option I had.” Despite past difficulties that left her apprehensive, she knew that taking a chance with an online program was essential to moving forward.
Today, Mariah is majoring in Educational Studies with a minor in Early Childhood Education. Early on, she thought becoming a traditional classroom teacher was her goal. However, motherhood reshaped her perspective. After teaching her own children, she realized that “managing a traditional classroom with 20 plus students did not feel like the right fit.” Through her program, she discovered new opportunities to work within the education system while still making a meaningful impact on children in ways that align with who she is now.
Mariah’s long-term vision includes creating a safe and positive learning environment such as a co-op or charter school where children feel supported, inspired, and free to be themselves. As part of a military family, both as a wife and as the daughter and niece of veterans, she has seen the unique challenges military children face. That experience has shaped her desire to build spaces where children feel stability, belonging, and a sense of home.
Despite her initial concerns, Mariah was surprised by how much online learning has evolved. Reflecting on her experience, she shares that she “was very surprised to discover that online learning today is more flexible, organized, and easier to navigate” than it had been in the past. To stay on track, structure has become essential. Each week begins with intentional planning, as she explains, “each Monday, I sit with my computer and planner to map out the week, review assignments, note due dates, and plan around my children’s needs and daily activities.”
Returning to school after 15 years while navigating solo parenting, homeschooling, and managing a household has been one of the most challenging experiences of Mariah’s life. There are moments when it feels overwhelming, and during those times she reminds herself why she started. As she puts it, “I’m not just doing this for me. I’m showing my children that it’s possible to do hard things.”
Mariah’s story offers reassurance to anyone questioning whether online learning can work alongside family and other responsibilities. Through determination, routine, and flexibility, she is proving that pursuing a degree does not require putting life on hold.