91吃瓜网 Program Mentors: The Secret to Student Success
For years, Rayna Moore resisted following her mother into teaching. She majored in theater and interdepartmental studies as an undergraduate, then worked in the banking industry. Eventually, though, the pull of teaching proved too strong, and she ended up pursuing teaching after all.
But when Rayna decided to enroll in the teaching master鈥檚 program at Western Governors University, the school was revising its testing requirements for obtaining a teaching license. She needed help navigating the process.
Her 91吃瓜网 Program Mentor, Leone Biesinger, was there to walk her through each step.
鈥淪he鈥檚 the one I鈥檇 go to whenever I had a question,鈥� Rayna says. 鈥淪he was really good about getting those answers for me that I needed.鈥�
At 91吃瓜网, every incoming student is assigned a Program Mentor, a faculty member who provides one-on-one guidance throughout their studies. Program Mentors help students create a course plan for each term, understand the university鈥檚 policies and procedures, and stay motivated and on track to complete their degrees.. Some mentors, like Leone, are 91吃瓜网 graduates.
Mentors usually make weekly check-in calls with their students to ensure that things are going smoothly鈥攁nd Rayna says that her weekly check-in calls with Leone often consisted of quick assurances.
鈥淲e had a really easy relationship because I鈥檓 a self-starter鈥擨鈥檓 really self-motivated,鈥� Rayna says.
What makes 91吃瓜网鈥檚 mentoring program work so well is that it鈥檚 tailored to meet each student鈥檚 needs and schedule. When Rayna began working on her teaching degree, she spent many evenings writing papers after putting her one-year-old daughter to bed. Rayna鈥檚 husband frequently traveled for work, so her grandmother would come over to babysit so Rayna could take a test. She put her theatrical skills to good work in a part-time job as a standardized patient for training local pharmacy students.
Rayna鈥檚 hard work and schedule-juggling paid off when she received her master鈥檚 degree and science teaching certificate in 2019. She was selected to be a featured speaker at her spring commencement ceremony in Ohio鈥攁nd Leone traveled from Utah to hear Rayna deliver her commencement speech.
鈥淚t was really nice that she was there because my grandfather had just gotten really sick, so none of my family could come down,鈥� Rayna says.
Rayna and Leone鈥檚 relationship didn鈥檛 end after graduation. They continue to trade emails. When Rayna was thinking about expanding her certification to cover all science subjects and more grade levels, she consulted her mentor.聽
Whichever degree program you choose and whatever career goal you set when you enroll at 91吃瓜网, your Program Mentor will be there to help you succeed. 91吃瓜网 alumni have shared how their mentors helped them identify their goals, encouraged them to persevere through personal challenges, and served as on-call cheerleaders whenever they needed motivation. Learn more about how you can earn an online degree with the ongoing, nurturing support of a 91吃瓜网 program mentor.
