— Audio Transcript — 

Growing up, other people would say, “I want to be a ballerina, I want to be a movie star, I want to play sports,” and I always wanted to be a nurse, and so I made that happen. My name is Carrissa Striegel. I have completed the LPN program at Galen, the ADN program, the RN to BSN online. And I will be starting my MSN soon.

Why was flexibility important to you?

I was able to work full-time and still go to school full-time, and I have two children. And as my kids are getting older, they’re becoming involved in sports and things like that. I didn’t want to have to miss out on that. So being in this online program, it allowed me to be there for cheer competitions and basketball banquets. I was able to still go to all those things, but still pursue my goal of attaining my BSN. So that was the, like, key point for me to pick this program.

What else really stood out to you?

The class outline, they give it to you in the very beginning, so you know what classes you’re going to take. You have choices to take some electives, too, so I loved that. I love the instructors, though. I love the staff at Galen.

Was it easy to fit the classes into your schedule?

You can log in whenever you want. It can be midnight, 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock in the morning. It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re active in your discussions, and you’re doing whatever your assignment is for the week.

What has Galen meant to you?

If someone asks me, what school should they go to for nursing, hands down, I would say, “Galen.” I have defeated so many odds in my life, because of Galen, because of the opportunities that they were able to give me. For that, I will be forever grateful and thankful to them.