From the start, Sophia’s goal has been to help make education affordable and accessible to every learner, regardless of their individual journeys.
Since then, we’ve seen high school students, adult learners, and ambitious career veterans leverage our courses to further their education – getting a jump on college, earning a degree, and transitioning to a dream career.
Today, we’d like to highlight some of the 2024 graduates, their unique stories, and how Sophia helped them reach their educational goals.
Introducing Our 2024 Ambassador Graduates
Anna Daley – Excelsior University
Beginning her college journey in 2021, Anna Daley earned her Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts in 2024 from Excelsior University. She was able to use Sophia to finish over 20 courses at her own pace, finish her degree fast, and take steps toward her career future.
For Anna, Sophia has been a phenomenal resource in her educational journey. With affordable, flexible, and self-paced courses, she’s been able to complete her coursework on her own time and – in her words – accomplish things she didn’t know she could do.
Because Excelsior University is partnered with Sophia, she was able to transfer many of her gen ed courses– and with prayer and encouragement from family – persevere and make it through any barrier to reach her educational goals. She even had some fun along the way learning about US history.
With a bachelor’s under her belt, Anna is planning to apply for a part-time job at a library and work towards her master’s in the fall. She’s already applied for a part-time job at her dream location!
Favorite Courses: US History I and II
Best Tips for Success at Sophia:
- If you’re looking to graduate soon, start planning now.
- Research the degree you may want and the best way to accomplish it.
- Consider taking Sophia courses in high school to earn transfer credits toward your future degree.
- With Sophia courses, read the necessary chapters and send in the assignments that need to be graded. While waiting for a grade, you can study and take every other milestone in the course.
Jarod McCloskey – Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Jarod McClosky finished an Associate Degree in Marketing in March of 2024. He started his educational journey toward the end of December 2022 using Sophia to “get back into the swing of things” before his first term at Southern New Hampshire University in January 2023.
For Jarod, Sophia was a vital tool to overcome mental health barriers in education. As a person who self-identifies with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AuDHD) and struggles around math, Jarod was able to leverage Sophia’s self-paced courses to learn and retain information without the stress and anxiety of missing deadlines.
“I could step back in a week without any issues to my grade and didn’t have to worry about the ‘what if’ with my GPA because of the pass/fail system” says Jarod. Over two months, Jarod completed seven courses with Sophia for transfer credit.
From here, Jarod plans to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, then take some time off to figure out the next steps in his career.
Favorite Course: Workplace Writing I
Best Tips for Success at Sophia:
- Use Sophia when you can. It can help lower the cost of college and it’s great for those with learning disabilities like me.
- With different learning styles between your college and Sophia, the platform can help you understand what college layout works or doesn’t work for you.
Jason T. Haynes – Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
In just 3 ½ years, Jason T. Haynes completed his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Southern New Hampshire University. With Sophia, he completed 16 courses in 1 ½ years working at his own pace to complete his degree as an adult.
Some Sophia courses were complements to the traditional university courses, giving Jason an experience like working with a “tutor.” These courses built a foundational understanding of a subject that he could leverage in other courses. For example, Intro to Statistics gave him an opportunity to revisit complex material at his leisure – as often as he needed – and switch things up if he felt he was becoming complacent to keep learning fresh and interesting.
After experiencing an unhealthy and unsupportive environment for secondary education, Jason had evaluated his higher education opportunities “unfairly.” As an adult, he realized the lack of a college degree not only held him back from specific opportunities but negatively impacted his self-worth.
Now, Jason is a proud first-generation college student. “To some degree (pun intended), I think it honors my family, but most importantly, it mitigates so many barriers for my children. My university is amazing, but Sophia offered me an affordable path to play ‘catch up’ by providing various courses from refreshers to correspondence courses,” says Jason.
For Jason, Sophia deserves much of the credit for fostering an environment to build self-confidence and freedom to design the stepping stones he needed for his educational journey. In fact, Jason concurrently enrolled as a non-matriculating student for a master’s in public administration in his last term.
Favorite Course: Intro to Statistics
Best Tips for Success at Sophia:
- Congratulations! If you’re reading this, the hardest part is over, as you have found Sophia.
- Absorb as much as you can from the courses or consider expanding your list with courses that may seem repetitive or take courses for pure enjoyment. I am always shocked to find the interconnectivity that I can see within a diverse course load. This is your time, savor it!
- Slow down. Purchase the affordable multiple-month package and really unlock Sophia’s full potential. For many of us, this may be the only opportunity to study a particular subject, and it may be some time later that we see how mastery or command of a seemingly unrelated matter can further your success in another course or even your career.
What Does Your Future Hold?
Congratulations to Anna, Jarod, and Jason and all of our Sophia Learners on earning their degrees! If you’re ready to take the next step on the path to higher education, see how Sophia’s flexible, affordable courses can help. Start your free trial today!
