Miranda Wiles Domec knew when enrolling in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 General Studies online program she was 小蝌蚪APP渕ade to do the hard things.小蝌蚪APP She小蝌蚪APP檚 proven that by maintaining a 4.0 GPA to earn her bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree while raising her three boys on their Texas farm.
Dream deferred
Domec, 33, first began college immediately following high school. The Texas native followed her now-husband, Scott, to enroll in the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 nursing program.
However, she found she couldn小蝌蚪APP檛 balance full-time work and school with her other priorities, which included her now-adopted son.
小蝌蚪APP淎s soon as I got done with school, I would have to go to work,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 couldn小蝌蚪APP檛 even go home and work on the stuff I just learned about.小蝌蚪APP
Domec had to drop something, so she left the 小蝌蚪APP.
While Domec cringed paying student loans with no degree to show for it, her mother remained adamant Domec finish her bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree. She even asked Domec小蝌蚪APP檚 husband to encourage her to go back to college before they were married.
But Domec stayed her course and the couple married in 2010. The next year, they returned to Domec小蝌蚪APP檚 home state to be closer to her mother.
The following year brought exciting news for everyone: Domec was expecting. Although the child would be the second addition to the family, he would be Domec小蝌蚪APP檚 firstborn. But two months before Domec小蝌蚪APP檚 due date, she noticed the baby wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 kicking.
Their son Lawson was delivered stillborn.
小蝌蚪APP淭he day we buried him, my husband carried his little boy out of the church in his tiny, white casket, and our Catholic faith carried us the rest of the way,小蝌蚪APP Domec says.
Only a little more than a year later, the Domec family celebrated the birth of a healthy baby boy. But six weeks after meeting her grandson, Domec小蝌蚪APP檚 mother died at home, leaving Domec to repeat a now familiar heart-wrenching process.
Domec also had to face a different kind of loss: time.
小蝌蚪APP淚 had thought about going back to school many times 小蝌蚪APP she always wanted me to 小蝌蚪APP but when she passed, it became final that it wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 going to happen in her lifetime,小蝌蚪APP Domec says.
Do the Hard Thing
Domec had delivered two sons via C-section. When she became pregnant with her third, she was determined to deliver without surgical intervention. And she did.
The experience, she says, left her with a newfound sense of empowerment.
小蝌蚪APP淚 realized I could do all the hard things 小蝌蚪APP physically, mentally, emotionally,小蝌蚪APP she says.
So Domec began rifling through filing cabinets, unearthing 11-year-old college transcripts to finish what she小蝌蚪APP檇 started and fulfill a long-held promise.
小蝌蚪APP淚 didn小蝌蚪APP檛 realize how easy it might be; I didn小蝌蚪APP檛 realize how long it might take,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚n my mind, I thought I had to go back in person on campus somewhere and that just didn小蝌蚪APP檛 seem feasible, having kids now.小蝌蚪APP
Because she小蝌蚪APP檇 begun her college journey with UL Lafayette, she decided to learn more about online degree options and discovered the Bachelor of General Studies online program.
小蝌蚪APP淚 looked up a couple of other schools as well and no one else could compete,小蝌蚪APP she says.
She enrolled in August 2018. Online courses allowed Domec to spend her days raising their sons on their Texas farm, fitting in coursework as time allowed.
小蝌蚪APP淚t was a lot of late nights. I was mostly waiting until they would crash and then I could do work,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淣ot having to be on campus, not having to be anywhere at a set time, made things so much easier. It was, 小蝌蚪APP榟ere小蝌蚪APP檚 the work you have to do; get it done by this deadline.小蝌蚪APP That小蝌蚪APP檚 all I needed.小蝌蚪APP
Proud PI
The flexibility of the General Studies program allowed Domec to choose a concentration and courses that were meaningful to her personally and professionally. She says she小蝌蚪APP檇 always considered private investigation as a possible career path, so her advisor, Sharon Williams-Gregory, guided her toward a concentration in behavioral science with minors in criminal justice and health.
Courses like crime and mental health and ethics in criminal justice gave Domec practical perspective, she says.
小蝌蚪APP淭he courses were just eye-opening,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淭he things we were learning about were very in line with current events. We were learning about things that were happening, as they were happening. It was great to see the college at the forefront of that.
小蝌蚪APP淲e have professors teaching us who are also in the field, teaching not just from theory but actual cases.小蝌蚪APP
One of those instructors, Eric DeLaune, has experience working with homeland security. Domec says he encouraged her to explore federal positions, in addition to her private investigation goals.
小蝌蚪APP淭hat小蝌蚪APP檚 a door that小蝌蚪APP檚 opened to me that I never considered before,小蝌蚪APP she says.
Promise fulfilled
Although Domec couldn小蝌蚪APP檛 complete her degree in her mother小蝌蚪APP檚 lifetime, Domec says she was nonetheless determined to make both her mother and Lawson proud.
After only four semesters of coursework, but many more years of waiting, Domec heard her name called as a UL Lafayette graduate during Fall 2019 commencement.
小蝌蚪APP淲hile life experiences and God brought me to UL Lafayette,小蝌蚪APP she says, 小蝌蚪APP渕y advisor and the 小蝌蚪APP College bridged the rest of the journey.小蝌蚪APP