Kelsey Winslow, a resident of Blue Springs, recently graduated from WGU Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Winslow participated in the nonprofit, fully online university’s commencement ceremony in November, where she and hundreds of other graduates were recognized and celebrated for their achievements.
Winslow attended a traditional brick and mortar college right out of high school but realized it was not the right fit for her. After getting married and having two children, she had a strong desire to go back to school, finish her degree and pursue a career in teaching.
“I found WGU and was very interested in learning more about them because of their competency-based programs,” said Winslow. “I started researching and talked to the admissions team, and I knew the university would be a good fit for me since I was a stay-at-home mother who could not attend in-person classes and be successful.”
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Winslow enrolled in September 2019 and completed 91 credit units within her first term. She spent the last three months of her program student teaching at a local elementary school and officially completed her degree in late spring of 2020. She plans to pursue her master’s degree with WGU Missouri in the near future.
“I love WGU because they allowed me to move at my own pace and graduate with my bachelor’s degree in just eight months total,” Winslow said. “That is absolutely unheard of with any other college. I am proud to say that I am a WGU alum and look forward to completing my master’s degree with them soon.”
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Since March 1, 2020, 32,377 individuals have earned degrees from WGU, most of them while working full-time jobs and raising families. In its 23-year history, WGU has awarded more than 206,000 degrees and has celebrated with ceremonies held multiple times per year, usually in cities across the country. The November commencement ceremony was held virtually in place of a previously planned in-person celebration.
For more information about the university or its programs, visit wgu.edu.