5/12/2021
On May 1, 2021, eight graduate degree students were honored during Ferrum College’s 105th commencement ceremony. These students are the first graduate degree recipients in the institution’s history.
“It was such a joy and honor to be able to call the names and watch our first graduate students be hooded on stage at this year’s commencement ceremony,” said Dean of the School of Online Graduate and Education Studies and Associate Professor of Political Science Sandra Via ’04. “I am so proud of these students for their hard work and dedication in these graduate programs and to Ferrum.”
The Master of Science in psychology and the Education Specialist Degree (EdS) in Teacher Leadership and Coaching programs are completely online and offer graduate students the chance to complete the curriculum in just one year. Each program prepares students for career advancement or to enter a doctoral program.
Leya Deickman, who received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Ferrum in 2019, is a proud member of the first graduate degree class. True to its promise, the program took Deickman a year to earn a Master of Science in psychology. Because of her organized and energetic nature, she was also able to work full-time at the College as an area coordinator for the Office of Student Life and Engagement, compete for the women’s wrestling team, and remain a dedicated mother to her young son Kendall.
“Being a full-time graduate student, staff member, student-athlete, and still managing my home life was extremely demanding,” said Deickman. “There were many days where Kendall would have to come to practice and there were days where I went to my office an hour early to just get some quiet time to do homework. But the beauty in online courses is that you can shape your schedule however you would like. Having the freedom to do that enabled me to be all those different things at once.”
Deickman enjoyed the curriculum of Ferrum’s graduate program. “I have been in other online programs before and they were very much regurgitation of information. While I still learned things, I was not as excited to learn. Ferrum’s program has been the opposite. I am always challenged and learning new things. The structure of each class is unique but is clearly laid out from the first day of class. I am learning about my own interest while being able to learn about psychology branches and research,” she said.
Ferrum College’s Senior Enrollment Officer Eric Grundman agrees with Deickman’s assessment. While working full-time for the College, Grundman enrolled last summer as a full-time graduate student, and also earned a Master of Science in psychology two weeks ago.
“Speaking from the perspective of the senior enrollment officer at Ferrum College, being a member of the first cohort and graduating class in Ferrum College history with an M.S. in psychology has been an incredibly positive experience,” said Grundman. “The past year has been truly enriching and fulfilling in every way. I’ve been able to gain knowledge as well as expand my professional network while working together with classmates who will be friends for a lifetime.
Grundman will always feel grateful for his graduate school experience at Ferrum. “The faculty and staff have worked with me and my fellow classmates to guide us through this intensive online program with a level of compassion and a personal touch that might not otherwise be offered at larger institutions,” he said. “One of the greatest honors of my life is that I am able to say I am now a proud Ferrum College alumnus.”
Learn more about Ferrum College’s online graduate degree programs here.
