Military Wife Able to Finish RichmondCC Degree Online after Relocation

Oct. 22, 2019 - Richmond Community College graduate Kacey Morris is a teacher’s assistant at Silver Strand Elementary School in Coronado, Calif. Getting to this career all the way on the other side of the country took the former Hamlet resident on a unique path at RichmondCC. 

Morris was not able to finish her high school diploma through traditional means, but she knew earning it was important for her future. She enrolled in the Adult High School Education program at RichmondCC and got her high school diploma. Morris always knew she wanted to work with children, so she knew she needed to learn as much about educating children from all walks of life, which meant going to college and getting the right degree.

Continuing on at RichmondCC was an easy choice for Morris after attending the Adult High School program and falling in love with the College.

“The teachers were so helpful and really pushed me to do my very best. I was able to achieve so much in the two years I attended. I feel confident and well prepared to work in anything involving children,” she said. “Thanks to RichmondCC, I am able to take what I learned in the classroom and put it in real-life situations. I can assist my friends who have children and also work with children who have special needs.”

The Early Childhood Education program prepares students to work with children from birth through 8 years old in diverse learning environments. Students learn to foster the cognitive/ language, physical/motor, social/ emotional, and creative development of young children.

Morris found her journey charting a unique path a year into her college program. Shortly after marrying her husband, who serves in the Navy, they were transferred to San Diego. She wasn’t sure how she would finish her degree, but she learned the Early Childhood Education program is also available 100 percent online. So the 2019 graduate was able to complete her degree from RichmondCC despite moving across country with her husband to a new military base.

“Taking online classes requires more discipline, but with the help of my instructors and being able to reach out to them when I needed them, the transition was much easier,” she said.

Online classes are a great option for working students or those who do not live near campus. Online students have access to all the same services as those taking classes on campus, such as tutoring, counseling and advising. This allows the College to remotely support students no matter where they live.

In the two years she attended RichmondCC, Morris was able to earn an Early Childhood degree, a Special Education diploma and two certificates in preschool and infant/toddler care.

“Being prepared in this field is so important. I was required to do student practicums in order to graduate. I had to complete a certain number of hours in the classroom, creating my own lesson plans and working with a variety of children,” she said.

Morris said she would recommend RichmondCC to anyone wishing to grow professionally.

“Having small classes and having instructors who care about you makes a world of difference,” she said.

RichmondCC provides many services to help and support students along their educational journey. While taking classes toward her degree, Morris had a campus job as an administrative support specialist in the Adult Education program. This provided her with real work experience and a small salary while working around her class schedule.

“I had the very best experience at RichmondCC. Being a military wife and moving to another state and switching to online classes, I was able to complete my program requirements and graduate with the support of my instructors,” she said.

For more information about the Early Childhood Education program at RichmondCC, contact Sheila Regan at (910) 410-1909 or saregan@richmondcc.edu.