Success Stories

A few years ago, Ife Muyiwa-Ojo’s career seemed steady and secure. He was working as a network/database engineer for an Internet company in Atlanta, GA. But then during the economic downturn, his company started downsizing and “moving people around,” as Ife puts it. “I lost my position and was offered another but I declined,” Ife explains. “I took an unpaid position with another company to keep my skills fresh. But I also started to think about starting a new career in a more secure field.” Want to try an online class? Take two free lessons on us today! Finding His Path to a Career Change “I had always been interested in health care and I started doing some research online,” Ife recalls. “Nursing appealed to me, ...

Latoya Deon lives in California with her husband Marvin and three-year-old son M.J. She works for the California Justice Department, where she updates criminal background checks. Latoya’s story is even more interesting. Here’s how StraighterLine helped her graduate from college on time on August 9th. Latoya’s StraighterLine Story Begins Just a few months ago, Latoya was doing her best to complete work for her Bachelor’s degree at the University of San Francisco. But she needed to complete one more elective – an introduction to philosophy course - before she could graduate. “I was searching and searching,” she says. “My advisor sent me a list of options that I could use. I went home with that list and I went throu ...

After working in the banking and brokerage business for more than 21 years, Diana Stone decided it was time to make a change. “I’m someone who has always wanted to help people fulfill their full potential,” Diana told us during a recent chat. “So I decided to earn a degree in business and start a new career in HR. I enrolled in Strayer University, where I’ll graduate this year. Then I’ll start working toward my Master’s in Human Resources with a concentration in management.” Using StraighterLine Courses to Stay on Schedule Like many college students, Diana hit a speed bump or two that threatened ability to graduate on time. “I was absolutely determined to graduate in 2013,” she explains. “I looked to exams as a ...

There are people who find success by doing what other people have done. Then there are people like StraighterLine student Matthew Hines, who has found his own, bigger way to achieve success. Matthew has taken 24 StraighterLine courses to date, which makes him one of the most active StraighterLine students ever. He also estimates that those courses have helped him shave about $18,000 from his college costs and avoid taking on a big debt load. But that’s only part of the story. Let’s hear what Matthew told StraighterLine in a recent interview. StraighterLine:  Can you tell us a bit about your background and why you are going to college? Matthew Hines: I live in Washington State. I’m 30, so it has been about a dozen years since ...

If you chat with Cassidy Coker for just a minute or two, you realize pretty quickly that she is a young woman who gets things done in a courageous, pioneering and personal way. Although she is still in her high school years, she is already running her own business as a professional photographer. She also does lots of volunteer work to help families and children. In fact, we spoke with her the day before she left her native Texas to spend several weeks rebuilding houses that had been damaged in Hurricane Sandy. You’ll enjoy this recent conversation that Barry Lenson, our blog editor, recently had with this confident and remarkable young woman . . . Barry Lenson: Where are you in school now and what are you doing? Cassidy Coker: I ...