Super-proud Moment
SLIPPERY ROCK — Andrea Evans knows she could have just received her degree in the mail, but because she earned it — and earned it all online — she wanted to drive across Pennsylvania to Slippery Rock University, a place she's never visited, to participate in the Dec. 16 winter commencement ceremony at Morrow Field House.
“Everyone said just let them mail it to you and I said, 'No, I worked too hard for this. I deserve to walk. I deserve this proud moment,” said Evans, a graduate of SRU's bachelor of science in nursing program from Chalfont, a town that's more than a five-hour drive from Slippery Rock.
Evans, 51, was born in England and spent half of her life living in eastern Pennsylvania. Because of a health condition and because she was a full-time registered nurse when she started the program two years ago, Evans could not have completed her degree by taking classes in a traditional setting, so she enrolled in Slippery Rock's online RN-to-BSN program.
“This program was thorough enough and rigorous enough that you get a well-rounded education,” said Evans, who chose SRU based on a recommendation from Christopher Smallwood, a 2008 SRU graduate in nursing who was an instructor at Bucks County Community College where Evans earned her associate degree to become an RN.
While Evans felt that SRU was accommodating and set her up for success, earning her degree didn't come easy. A full-time professional and a mother of a preteen daughter, Evans also suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, an incurable inflammatory disease that causes joint stiffness in the spine and hips and, in some cases like Evans', eye pain, sensitivity to light and blurred vision.
“It's excruciating to stand and sit (for long periods) so I had to alternate and I have some distortions in my vision that make it really hard,” said Evans.
One year into the online program, Evans decided completing her bachelor's degree deserved her full concentration, so she reduced her hours at Doylestown Hospital from full-time to weekends only.
“Our RN-to-BSN program appeals to nurses because they seek the quality, affordability and flexibility associated with 100-percent online learning at SRU,” said Mary Ann Dailey, associate professor and interim chairman of SRU's nursing department. “While there are no face-to-face relationships, faculty collaborate with RN students through online discussion boards, email and telephone, all of which support a collegial academic environment. Faculty also encourage nurses to collaborate with their peers and apply the skills they are developing to their work setting.”
But that doesn't mean Evans failed to revel in her accomplishment. She drove with her 13-year-old daughter, Lauren, departing for Slippery Rock at 6 a.m. Dec. 15 to arrive in time for commencement rehearsal, while her husband, Tom; adult son, Ryan; and sister, Robin, arrived in time for the ceremony Dec. 16.
“I didn't care if there was the worst ice storm,” said Evans, whose parents in New Mexico and sisters in Florida watched the ceremony on the live stream from SRU's website. “I'm not missing this; this is huge. Physically being here makes me feel connected as an SRU alumna.
“I could say that I've been on campus and now I feel like this is the school that provided the last part of my education and not only is it a super-proud moment for me, but also for my family.”
