For Shayna Nichole Todd, family always comes first. When she earned her associate degree in early childhood education from the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) in May 2022, Shayna and her entire family drove from their home in El Paso, Texas, to McHale Memorial Center in Tucson, Arizona, for the spring commencement ceremony.
She wanted to make sure her 4-year-old son Easton and newborn daughter Everly saw her receive her degree, despite being too young to understand the importance of the moment.
鈥淚 graduated Magna Cum Laude, and the night before my graduation, I decorated my cap,鈥 Shayna recalls. 鈥淚t says, 鈥楳y degree, your future,鈥 for my kids.鈥
Love of family is what motivated Shayna to go back to school in 2020, and it鈥檚 the reason she鈥檚 continuing her education and is on track to graduate with her Bachelor of Arts in Education Studies in 2024.
鈥淚 chose these degrees because I have always loved working with children and I want to make a difference in their lives,鈥 she explains.
The degree will be her greatest educational achievement to date and the culmination of what she describes as a complete turnaround 鈥 a one-time C student in high school who is now earning As and Bs at UAGC.
Young and Motivated
Shayna and Justin met and fell in love at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona. The couple graduated in May 2014 and married seven months later. Shortly thereafter, they relocated to Fort Campbell on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee, where Justin was beginning his military career with the U.S. Army.
After struggling in high school, Shayna didn鈥檛 want to return to the classroom to attend college, admitting she was 鈥渢oo afraid to start school again, afraid of not being able to pass, afraid of making a mistake.鈥
Instead, she put the focus on her family and supported her husband through his early years in the military when her income as a preschool teacher was enough to help them get by.
鈥淚 married young, moved away young, and it was time to work, not go to school,鈥 Shayna says.
Shortly after her son, Easton was born, she began to focus more on her future and what she was capable of achieving.
鈥淚 was motivated to go back to school because of my husband,鈥 she says. 鈥淗e had just gotten back from a year in Korea 鈥 he left when our son was two months old and came back when he was 15 months 鈥 and every day, I watched him get up and push himself to be the best he can be for his career and his family.
鈥淚 decided that I needed to do the same. It had to start with my degree.鈥
For Shayna, the first accomplishment would be overcoming the fear that kept her away from college until she was 24 years old. The encouragement of her husband 鈥 coupled with the commitment she鈥檇 made to her kids and the support system that鈥檚 offered to every UAGC student 鈥 gave her reasons to believe she could succeed.
Still, there were times she said she felt scared and discouraged.
鈥淲hen it came time to do math, I was terrified!鈥 she says. 鈥淚 looked at the first discussion and instantly got sick to my stomach, and after that, I couldn鈥檛 eat or sleep for three days.
鈥淭hen, an advisor came along and helped me find a better math class and I passed that math class with an A. I actually enjoyed the math class and looked forward to the next assignments. When I tell you I loved it, I mean I looked forward to doing my assignments. I鈥檝e passed a lot of my classes with As.鈥
Putting Her Skills To the Test
Shayna鈥檚 life as a stay-at-home military spouse and mom of two is so different from so many of her classmates. She鈥檚 held her family together through Justin鈥檚 deployments 鈥 long periods of absence while he was in Afghanistan and later Korea 鈥 and their move from Fort Campbell to Fort Bliss in El Paso. Though it hasn鈥檛 been easy, she鈥檚 been relying on her classes to ground her and give her direction as she considers her future in and outside of the home.
鈥淎 lot of what I learn, I actually use as a mom,鈥 she explains. 鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 doing Learning and the Brain, and understanding how my children鈥檚 brains work.
鈥淔or example, if your child is in a place where they don鈥檛 feel secure, they鈥檙e not going to learn. I鈥檓 learning how to communicate with children, and I鈥檓 also around a lot of other military spouses with kids. I鈥檓 able to help those moms understand how to communicate and approach their kids.鈥
She鈥檚 also helping Justin as he completes classes in the Army, and many nights, 4-year-old Easton will sit with her and do his schoolwork while she鈥檚 typing assignments for UAGC.
Being a stay-at-home mom has been a full-time job for Shayna, though she鈥檚 considering a return to the workforce after completing her bachelor鈥檚 degree. Because she鈥檚 always worked around children, she鈥檚 interested in pursuing a career in the education field, but in an office setting rather than a classroom. Having enjoyed her time at UAGC, she鈥檚 inspired to help others reach their goals.
鈥淚鈥檝e thought about being a student advisor,鈥 she says. 鈥淭alking with the advisors has been great. They really helped me decide the best path for me 鈥 not just as a student, but as a mom and wife.
鈥淯AGC has really turned the tables on my education. I should have quite a few doors open after I get my degree.鈥
鈥淭he Hardest Thing We鈥檝e Ever Faced鈥
Finishing her bachelor鈥檚 online is not only critical given the responsibilities Shayna has at home, but it provides the flexibility she needs when it comes to the next challenge facing her family.
In May, her husband starts drill sergeant school, and the family is also preparing for another move with the destination still unknown.
鈥淚t will be the hardest thing we鈥檝e ever faced because he鈥檒l be at work from 3 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week,鈥 she explains.
Justin has been absent from the family before during deployments, but Shayna says she feels drill sergeant school could be even tougher on the family. Not having Justin there to continue pushing her to finish her degree will be difficult, she adds.
鈥淢y kids are going to struggle being away from their dad, and I鈥檒l be trying to do my school while thinking about their schooling,鈥 she says. 鈥淗e won鈥檛 be home, and when he is home, he鈥檒l need to sleep, so it will be the kids and me most of the time,鈥 she says.
To get through it all, Shayna plans to enjoy her time with her kids, lean on her UAGC support system, and continue to pursue photography as a hobby in her spare time.
Keeping busy through the changes and transitions of her life and building up her credentials 鈥 an education that鈥檚 already helping out at home 鈥 will give her peace of mind, Shayna says.
School, after all, has helped her conquer her fears and made her more optimistic about the future.
鈥淚f I could do it all again, I wouldn鈥檛 change anything, because going back to school online was the best decision I ever made,鈥 she says. 鈥淔or me, being a military spouse, it makes all the sense in the world.鈥
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This program is not designed to meet the state educational requirements for teacher licensure or certification in any state. Students seeking teacher licensure shall carefully research their state's requirements prior to enrollment and regularly review the requirements as they are subject to change. Requirements vary by state. Graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a state-by-state basis that will include one or more of the following: student teaching or practicum experience, additional coursework, additional testing, or, if the state requires a specific type of degree, earning an additional degree. None of the University of Arizona Global Campus online education programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which is a requirement for certification in some states. Other factors, such as a student鈥檚 criminal history, may prevent an applicant from obtaining licensure, certification, or employment in their field of study.
Student success stories should not be interpreted as a promise or guarantee of career advancement or future earnings. The stories shared here represent the outcomes of individual students for illustrative purposes only.
