Inspiring Stories From Women at UoPeople

Women continue to outnumber men in institutions of higher education, and these women have inspiring stories to share about their experiences at UoPeople.

Around the world, people face challenges when it comes to attending institutions to earn higher education degrees. While some are unable to afford the increasingly high costs of education, others live in countries plagued by war and can’t attend a school because of safety or political reasons.

Whether it is financial, familial, time pressure constraints, or any other reason, University of the People believes in making education affordable and accessible, and it accomplishes this through an entirely online model that is tuition-free and therefore, low cost. Through this model, over 18,000 students have benefited from the institution’s educational offerings, earning degrees in Health Science, Computer Science, Business Administration and Education.

Following the general trend of education, women are outnumbering men in institutions of higher education, and this is also the case at UoPeople. UoPeople has witnessed stories of women who have raised families while earning their degree, women who have persevered to learn while their country is at war, women who built businesses while studying, and women who started over and took a second chance on their future. No matter their reasoning and background, these women share their inspirational stories of how UoPeople changed their lives for the better through its unique educational model.

Nkeangnyi Yimnai

Cameroon, Health Science – Education Despite Civil War

Out of Cameroon, Africa, Nkeangnyi hails from a family of seven, having four siblings. Despite her country being embroiled in a civil war that has stopped schooling, Nkeangnyi enrolled in University of the People to study Health Science with a focus on Community and Public Health.

She shares that she’s the first of her family to try this method of online learning. One of her primary motivations for doing so is to hopefully motivate others around her to take part in online education so that the country’s political environment isn’t a factor in the people’s future.

Gadis Azahra

Indonesia, Health Science – Entrepreneur and Student

As a highly ambitious woman, Gadis attended University of the People to study Health Science while pursuing French Studies at STBA YAPARI-ABA Bandung. Along with majoring in two vastly different degrees, Gadis also owns a socks brand that has been featured in major magazines like Nylon, Grazia and Cosmopolitan.

Gadis stays busy and has always been ahead of the curve, even from a young age. When she was just 13 years old, she was honored by an international NGO as an Ashoka Young Changemakers for her movement to empower women to ride bicycles as a symbol of women’s liberation. Furthermore, she has been a speaker at TEDxBandung and continues to be recognized for her social movements.

With a wide range of disciplines and education, Gadis showcases how UoPeople can assist in moving one’s ambitions and future opportunities forward without having to stop existing responsibilities like running a business or raising a family.

Keniesha Wakkeen

Jamaica, Business Administration – Single Mother

Many women feel pressure to earn their education or continue working when they are raising a family, especially single mothers. For example, Keniesha is a single mother who lives with her retired mother.

After being diagnosed with schizophrenia, she faced tumultuous times when it came to believing in herself and knowing that she could achieve all her goals. But, when she came across UoPeople and was able to overcome personal struggles, she proved it to herself that she could earn her degree in Business Administration despite all odds. The online, flexible nature of education proved to be useful in finding a balance for her time.

Meerim Emil

Kyrgyzstan, Business Administration – Second Chance at Education

Moving abroad and leaving what one knows takes both courage and discipline. From Kyrgyzstan, Meerim left her home country to go to the United States at the young age of 18. Living with an American family and learning as an exchange student, she felt as though she was making the best decision for her studies.

She put a lot of her time and energy into studying, but during her second year of college, she seemed to have lost focus on her schoolwork. Being away from home with unresolved conflicts with her parents caused personal stress that detracted from her ability to study.

Around this time, she learned about University of the People and remembered what it was like to put energy into her studies like she did during her first year of school in America. Through the online model and quality education, she could finish her degree in Business and do it on her own time. She used her time of self-reflection to create a lifestyle of healthy habits and good time management so that she could take this second chance at earning her degree to truly make it her own.

Katelyn Richardson

United States, Business Administration – Work and Financial Constraints

Some people hope to earn their degrees while continuing to work. With part-time programs, or even the flexibility inherently available in online courses, students at UoPeople are able to manage their responsibilities like work while getting an education.

Katelyn is a good example of how this is made possible. When she had first attended her local university, she wasn’t able to take a full load of classes because the classes were during her work week. Additionally, classes at the traditional university were much too expensive and she didn’t want to go further into debt.

Despite the hard choice, she left her university and felt defeated. She had always dreamed of earning her degree, but at that time, she felt like it wouldn’t be possible. Offering support, her husband quoted Babe Ruth and told her, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” From that, she realized that her ultimate goal wasn’t about a degree or herself, but rather it was about having the tools to help others, but she’d need to achieve her goals first to do so.

She enrolled in the Business Administration program at UoPeople and feels that she is now able to accomplish her goals and work towards her dreams.

An Educational Revolution

These women offer just a glimpse into what it’s like to study at University of the People. They showcase how the flexibility of the programs and low-cost alternative offers a mode by which to accomplish one’s dreams and earn a degree from a quality, accredited, and American university while still finding time for oneself and one’s family.

In a mission to combat all the constraints that people have faced and continue to face in pursuing their degrees, University of the People was founded as an entirely online university to offer quality education and serve as an alternative to traditional schooling. Its doors are open to everyone, everywhere around the world to learn. Since its inception in 2009, students from over 200 countries and territories have benefited from the school’s unique and accessible educational model.