Jessica Lawless knew that a bachelor’s degree was central to achieving her personal goals, but with her responsibilities as a single working mother, she wondered if such an achievement was within her reach. Fortunately, a family friend knew of a degree completion option under proposal at the College of Charleston – the Bachelor of Professional Studies program was precisely what Lawless was seeking.
“Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, such as when your other priorities take precedence over school, the staff are willing to help.”
Lawless, who had recently graduated from Trident Technical College, was looking for a business-oriented concentration that would allow her to balance her priorities: completing her degree in a timely manner, while leaving ample time to devote to her young son. She was pleased to find, upon enrolling in the School of Professional Studies, an ideal coupling of supportive faculty members and a flexible, relevant curriculum. “[They are] understanding of the demands that an adult student has when returning to the classroom,” Lawless describes, “how priorities are shifted when the student has roles as [a] mother or employee or even both.”
Now a Patient Access Services Representative at the Medical University of South Carolina, Lawless credits the BPS program with providing the tools necessary to succeed in a business-oriented field. Noting that training in both medical ethics and public speaking have informed her interactions with patients at MUSC, Lawless claims, “You get what you put into the program and the end results make the experience worthwhile.”
Admitting that balancing her roles as student, employee and mother presented challenges at times, Jessica Lawless – the inaugural graduate of the BPS program – is quick to credit the support system she found in SPS staff and students: “Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, such as when your other priorities take precedence over school, the staff are willing to help.”
The SPS staff have maintained ties with Lawless, and look forward to sharing in her future success.