Linda DAgosta
Kaplan University
A.A. in Paralegal, 2005
My name is Linda Dagosta. I reside in a rural area of Pennsylvania and I am 48-years-old. In 1995 I was living in Florida and was involved in a head-on collision, which changed the way I was living my life and had a severe affect on my employment situation.
As years passed, I found the injuries I sustained in the accident were taking a toll on my physical ability to function in my jobs. I had always thought about attending school, but while I was a single parent raising my children, working and attending school wasn't even something I could consider.
Some time in the late '90s, I noticed there were online courses being offered where you did not need to physically attend classes. I wasn't too sure if they were on the level or just a farce. So I veered away from ever thinking I could get my degree online.
In 2002 I found out that I also suffered from Lyme disease and that not only was my physical health becoming limited, but my immune system had become seriously impaired as well.
I had never gone past a high school diploma and I had attended only one semester in a local college. That was as far as I ever advanced before I discovered that my health was becoming too much of a pressing matter for me to continue in blue collar work. I had to get a degree and start earning more money to support my family. I may have discovered this late in life, but I have been informed that is it far better to be late than never to get there at all.
So, I decided to make a few calls to some of the online schools that advertised courses in law studies. I knew that since I worked full time there was no way I had time to drive almost an hour each way to physically attend the local community college in 1995 prior to my accident. After several calls and some quick figuring, I decided to apply to Kaplan College, which while I was attending earned their University status.
I have always had a strong interest in law, throughout my life. I knew that becoming a police officer would have been too physically demanding for my limitations. I decided to take a paralegal course which would limit the physical demand and I believed that this would be the best avenue to follow.
I enrolled in the fall of 2003 and began my course work online. I found that attending an online course was perfect for my present lifestyle. There was little to no stress, I was relaxed at my own home, and I could supervise my children even while I was in a class seminar. This was great! I was not only saving time and gas from driving, but I also didn't have to rely on a baby sitter and I didn't have to get dressed in order to attend, not to mention avoiding the long hour drive one-way through the winter months. This was especially important since my accident as that would have been traumatic for me to have that drive over ice-covered roads.
Attending online school was a perfect solution to a problem. Trust me, for anyone who has negative remarks about online schooling: it isn't easy but it sure cuts down time lost in getting dressed and traveling to a physical site. The course work isn't any easier than those offered on campus. You have to earn your way through.
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