We’re Still Celebrating! | Meet Katherine Weston, MSOL ’22
May 14, 2022
Long-distance relationships do work!
Katherine Weston, a native of Ventura County, California, who earned her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership at the Nyack College online campus, is proof of that.
Also a University of Southern California alumna, she earned an undergraduate degree in exercise science with a minor in psychology. It was always her desire to continue her education, but there was twenty-year pause on that pursuit.
At USC, she met Gary, her husband-to-be and after graduation, the two moved to Sacramento to embark on married life. Not long after, she landed a summer job at a day program for individuals with developmental challenges. It was there Katherine discovered her passion and purpose.
“I truly loved working with both the participants, as well as my amazing co-workers, which led me to the decision to pursue a career in that field. I had always intended to continue my education someday,” she shares.
Katherine was devoted to supporting her husband through graduate school and the couple welcoming three children to their household for those two decades. Her dream of furthering her education was shelved, but not permanently.
As a member of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church in Sacramento, she was familiar with colleges like Nyack. When she received an email from Nyack promoting scholarship opportunities for members of the C&MA, she applied for admission and for the scholarship.
“The exact day I had received that email, I was made aware that my name had been considered for a promotion at work, but I had been passed over due to my lack of the required education—a master’s degree,” she explains. But God’s favor was soon revealed.
“Before I knew it, I was part of an online cohort for the Master of Science of Organizational Leadership degree. The online format fit my needs perfectly and I enjoyed the opportunity to interact with students and faculty from across the country.”
At the recent School of Business and Leadership hooding ceremony, the honors with distinction graduate received awards for “Highest MSOL GPA” and for “Best Thesis” in her cohort for her work entitled, “The Relationship Between Social Support and Self-Determination in Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.”
“The most challenging and rewarding components of the program were my research project and thesis. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and research in my area of passion, supporting individuals with disabilities to enjoy maximum inclusion, choice and independence in their lives. That research has been directly applicable in my career field, and shortly after graduating, I was offered a promotion within my agency. I greatly appreciate the knowledge and experience I have gained relating to styles of leadership, organizational culture, and managing change as a leader. I look forward to applying these practically in a leadership role within my organization.”
Like the New York City campus near Battery Park, Nyack’s online campus is another thriving platform offering a quality Christian education to men and women across our nation and around the world!
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