My name is Eileen Kielty and I am enrolled in Lesley’s
online Bachelor’s in Psychology program. I was delighted to be asked to post to
Lesley’s blog as I am a firm believer in the power of support and helping
others along their journey. I have been a student at Lesley since August 2011
and have just finished up my seventh and eighth online courses and my fourth
accelerated session (completing Fall I & II and Spring I & II).
My story, like most adult learners at Lesley, is a unique
one. I am a professional dancer that started college at age 20, due to
sustaining dance-related injuries my senior year of high school that forced me
to take two years off before majoring in dance at Dean College in Franklin, MA.
After completing my freshman year there, I spent a summer at The Ailey School
in NYC, fell in love with the program, changed to an Associate’s degree,
graduated the following spring from Dean, (Summa Cum Laude) and enrolled in Ailey’s
year-long Independent Study Program. After completing a year in NYC, I moved
back to Boston to dance with a company.
I have always been a fan of school and, especially funding
things myself, my education has always been something I treasure and truly
value. I soon realized that I wanted to continue my education in my other
passion; psychology. I had originally planned on earning my Bachelor’s in Dance
and my Associate’s in Psychology, conveniently, I just switched the two. The
plan is to earn my Master’s in Expressive Arts/Movement Therapy and my
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in the upcoming years.
Because my profession is so unpredictable, involves
traveling between Boston and NYC and involves many project-based opportunities,
Lesley’s online accelerated program was the answer! This program has allowed me
to actively pursue my degree while actively pursuing my dance career. I have
done homework on the train and the bus; on vacation and in my bathrobe. Not
only are the professors incredibly engaged and invested in their students, the
format and forums of the online program have allowed me to feel connected to my
fellow classmates. My biggest worry was that I would feel alone in this process
and would miss the face-to-face give and take that an on campus class provides.
I can honestly say that this program has changed my view on online learning. I
will share some tips that I have found to be helpful in my upcoming posts, but
for now, that’s my introduction and my initial thoughts on Lesley’s online
program.
Warmly,
Eileen
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