Christine lives in Orlando, Florida. She knew she wanted to go to school to better serve her First Unitarian Church in Orlando, but she also wanted to stay rooted in her community. Her wife has a career in Orlando, and Christine herself own her own business there called Ideas to Go. Staying in town means she can even keep track of her Orlando Women’s soccer team and pursue her love of hiking and camping in Florida. Getting a quality education without leaving home was a must. Originally, she was looking for an online program, but was excited to discover the richness of the hybrid program. “I was considering online,” she says, “but this is way better than online!”

The online paired with residential means she can have the best of what she wants out of her education; she says she learns all week, not just during a set class time. “The subject goes deeper when you can go as fast as you read, not as fast as people talk.” But, she’s not in it alone. Her cohort of Journey classmates meet every Gathering Days with hugs and tears— “It’s almost silly how much we love each other!” They rely so heavily on their virtual community all year. In class, the peer-led learning means that Christine has learned how to critically engage with other students. She’s gained a level of confidence in that that will help her in other areas of her life. “People in my life can see how I’ve changed.” With Journey at Iliff, she can stay close to those people and her goals.

Thanks for allowing us to share your story, Christine.