Julia Smith小蝌蚪APP檚 name has graced Dean小蝌蚪APP檚 Lists, President小蝌蚪APP檚 Lists, and will soon be bricked along the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Walk of Honor.
But there were moments in her college journey when it looked like Smith might not make it.
小蝌蚪APP淚 feel like I went to college excited for the social part of it, but not really focused enough on the academic part,小蝌蚪APP Smith says.
To turn things around, Smith had to step back from UL Lafayette, re-evaluate her study habits and identify an academic path that would engage her and prepare her for the future.
She found that path through the B.S. in Health Services Administration online.
A Quick but Beneficial Detour
Originally, Smith enrolled as a nursing major, but after two semesters, she found herself languishing as a student.
She attended classes but struggled to find where she fit, so she mostly remained quiet at the back of the room and just drifted along with the flow.
Smith eventually needed to transfer to a community college closer to home so she could rebuild her GPA and maintain her financial aid eligibility.
Initially, having to leave UL Lafayette shook Smith小蝌蚪APP檚 confidence in herself, but her parents cheered her on consistently.
小蝌蚪APP淓ach time I doubted myself or questioned if I was headed in the 小蝌蚪APP榬ight direction,小蝌蚪APP they remained optimistic and constantly reassured me,小蝌蚪APP says Smith.
Her parents小蝌蚪APP support fed her determination to correct course and succeed.
小蝌蚪APP淚 just did a complete 180,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 went from being someone whose priorities weren小蝌蚪APP檛 in line to actually having all of that together.小蝌蚪APP
As she grew into a more effective student, it dawned on Smith that she was not meant for nursing, but she was still drawn to health care as an industry.
小蝌蚪APP淲henever I realized 小蝌蚪APP業 don小蝌蚪APP檛 think nursing is for me. What else can I do?小蝌蚪APP I knew I had more of a business mindset rather than working clinically,小蝌蚪APP says Smith.
A former roommate had told Smith about the Health Services Administration online program and she felt it click into place.
小蝌蚪APP淚t instantly felt right for me,小蝌蚪APP says Smith. 小蝌蚪APP淚 just felt so much more, like, at ease and comfortable about where my future was headed because now I had some sort of clear direction.小蝌蚪APP
New Path, New Confidence
In switching to online courses, Smith quickly noticed the good habits she cultivated during her rebuilding year 小蝌蚪APP participating in classes, being unafraid to ask questions, and communicating with instructors 小蝌蚪APP were crucial to her success.
小蝌蚪APP淭he teachers are so personable,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淲ith Health Services Administration being online, you really have to rely on your teachers to be good at communicating, or responding back, and they小蝌蚪APP檝e all been excellent at that.小蝌蚪APP
Still, Smith wanted to find the close community of a study group but she wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 sure how that would work with online classes.
小蝌蚪APP淚 was like 小蝌蚪APP楬ow do you get to know people? How do you reach out to them?小蝌蚪APP櫺◎蝌紸PP remembers Smith.
Her solution was to email all her classmates in all her classes.
小蝌蚪APP淲hoever answered, answered. Now, two years later, I talk to them every day,小蝌蚪APP says Smith. 小蝌蚪APP淔rom then on, we were trying to schedule the same exact classes.小蝌蚪APP
Through forming her unofficial cohort, Smith kept up her study habits, learned to collaborate with a team and to give and receive encouragement. Best of all, she wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 the only one who benefited.
Dominique Llopis, who also graduated in Health Services Administration, met Smith through a finance class and appreciated the support she found in the study group and the way Smith developed as a leader of her peers.
小蝌蚪APP淛ulia is passionate, and goal-driven and embraced everyone in the group with open-mindedness and support,小蝌蚪APP says Llopis. 小蝌蚪APP淛ulia is a stranger that became a friend.小蝌蚪APP
Not only were group members there for each other when they shared a class, but they were cheerleaders for one another when someone was struggling in a class another classmate had already completed.
小蝌蚪APP淥ne girl I study with, she was stressed out,小蝌蚪APP says Smith. 小蝌蚪APP淎nd I said, 小蝌蚪APP業 know there小蝌蚪APP檚 a lot going on, but trust me, you will be so glad you took all these classes. Once it小蝌蚪APP檚 all done with, it小蝌蚪APP檚 so worth it.小蝌蚪APP櫺◎蝌紸PP
Jonae Dunbar, who also earned her Health Services Administration degree in 2022, was a study group member and was impressed with Smith小蝌蚪APP檚 work ethic and positive influence.
小蝌蚪APP淓ver since Julia reached out to me and we began working together, I have been more driven and grown more confident as a person as well as a student,小蝌蚪APP says Dunbar. 小蝌蚪APP淪he pushed me to learn more and change a lot of my habits when it came to doing work and studying.小蝌蚪APP
Still Growing
For her senior internship, Smith shadowed an administrator with the Our Lady of Lourdes care network.
Getting a close-up view of how responsibilities, resources, and accountability flow through an organization of that size affirmed to Smith that she switched to the correct program.
小蝌蚪APP淢y favorite thing has been sitting in on their leadership meetings when all the clinic managers come together and they sit and they talk about each thing that小蝌蚪APP檚 going on in their office,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 been a very eye-opening experience.小蝌蚪APP
At each step along the way, Smith met challenges and setbacks and persevered, growing into a more determined and caring leader, and an outstanding student. She was even inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society upon completing her degree.
Smith returned to the 小蝌蚪APP for graduate school this fall and now is working toward her MBA in Healthcare Administration online.
小蝌蚪APP淟uckily,小蝌蚪APP says Smith, 小蝌蚪APP渦ndergrad has prepared me for the online format of the grad school.小蝌蚪APP