It's true that online learning is appealing to those who work long office hours, stay-at-home moms, and the technologically savvy. But make no mistake - as these eLearners will tell you, you don't have to fit a profile to reap the benefits of the cyber classroom.

Geneva Esin: This Truck-Driving Grandma Speeds Toward a Degree

It's true that online learning is appealing to those who work long office hours, stay-at-home moms, and the technologically savvy. But make no mistake - as these eLearners will tell you, you don't have to fit a profile to reap the benefits of the cyber classroom.

Sometimes Geneva Esin doesn't have time to stop home after work before attending classes at the University of Phoenix. But here's the catch - Esin is a 54-year-old truck driver. "Sometimes the way my routes work, I'll drive through the night, and then have to drive my truck straight onto campus to make it to class on time," she says. "I don't worry about the funny looks I get - I'm so used to getting them anyway!"

Esin's career as a truck driver has spanned 10 years, and she continues to work full time while enrolled in the University of Phoenix's FlexNet business program. The program allows the Nashville, TN-based trucker to work both online from the road and in the classroom during her time off. Having dropped out of college over 30 years ago just one semester shy of earning her degree, this determined driver's story is as inspiring and remarkable as it is unusual - and a testament to the fact that it's never too late to learn.

Fueling Up
Where did Esin get the gasoline - the energy, the confidence, and the drive - to make this journey back to school? "My husband motivated me," she says. "He was a caseworker for the Board of Health, and wanted to be a registered nurse. He went to school online and got his nursing degree." He's now working on his master's degree in public health, she adds. "Just watching his study habits and his successes was inspiring."

It's important to surround yourself with a positive support network when you're going to take on a project like returning to school. Esin even switched the trucking company she worked for to ensure she'd be in a more supportive environment. "I quit the company I drove for at the time and changed to one that would fulfill the promise of having me home every week," she explains. "I don't like missing class." Her current employer makes efforts to accommodate her unusual circumstances. "My new company certainly thinks my situation is rather unique," she admits, "but they encourage me."

Bumps in the Road
Just because Esin mustered the strength to tackle earning her degree doesn't mean she hasn't encountered rough spots along the way. "When I went to that first class, I had a reality check," she says. "When you do your research on the program and the courses, it just sounds easier. Somehow my brain didn't hear the word 'accelerated,'" she jokes.

But ultimately, her desire to learn - and a leap of faith - helped her persevere. "After the first class, I asked myself if I really wanted to do this," she says.

"I was finally comprehending what they meant by accelerated - all the reading, writing, and papers that were ahead of me. I went to a Baptist church and the sermon was something that really hit me at the time, with everything that I knew I wanted to accomplish. So I stayed with it."

No Rest at the Rest Stops
Esin stays in touch with her classmates and professors with a laptop she takes everywhere she goes. "Usually I can use the wireless Internet at the travel centers along my routes, or at hotels and [coffee shops]," she says. "Whenever I stop, I get a chance to post on our class message boards - that's where my participation grade comes from. I have to post four times a week."

And the weekends are hardly a time for relaxation. "I need to have priorities," she says. "I stay up on my work on the road throughout the week, but generally I do the bulk of it on the weekends. I'm still trying to figure out different ways to do it. If I'm logging in long runs and lots of driving during the week, I very often need to use my time to sleep!"

Writing About the Road
Ten years of big-rig experience is making its way into Esin's academics as well. "At the moment, I'm writing a paper on the trucking industry," she says. "I'm covering the history of it, and how supply and demand, unemployment, and the gross domestic product relate to the business."

Esin's coursework in business is not only preparing her for the future, it's also helping her learn from her own mistakes. As an entrepreneur who attempted to start her own business prior to getting into the trucking industry, she is acquiring hindsight as clear as a rearview mirror.

"Now I can recognize a lot of the bad business decisions I made," she explains. "My ideas were good, but the business plan fell through. That's when I decided to go on the road."

The Path Ahead
Next summer, Esin will finish her coursework, and degree in hand, be one step closer to her future goals. "I plan on using my degree to get some type of administrative management work in the trucking business," she says. "Maybe I'll even see if I can open up my own trucking branch in Nashville. It's never too late."

-Paul D. Rosevear

Gary Heavin: Even CEOs Need a Career Workout
What's the measure of success? Wealth? Being a thriving CEO? Authoring two best sellers? Earning accolades and national recognition as an entrepreneur? Gary Heavin had all of these things, but for him, success wasn't complete until he finished his degree.

Heavin is the founder and CEO of Curves International (Waco, TX). Back in 2002 when Heavin was working feverishly behind the scenes of the country's fastest growing franchise (there are over 7,000 of the women's fitness centers in the United States today), he was also waking up at 5:30 every morning to go to class. You're probably asking yourself, "why"?

"I think it was a matter of integrity," Heavin explains. "I had written a book or two. I was counseling hundreds of women, then thousands, and as the founder of Curves, millions. I was self-taught and a prolific reader." What he wasn't however, was a college graduate. After completing three years toward a pre-med degree in 1976, Heavin took a break from the books when he set out to revitalize a failing fitness center in Houston, TX. Five years and six locations later, he never found the time to complete his studies. Thirty years later, he decided it was time.

Warming Up to Online Study
"I looked around at area colleges, but they had rigid class schedules. But the biggest thing of all was [they didn't offer] the degree I needed," he explains. Being a health and nutrition counselor, the closest field of study available at the local schools was physical education.

That's when Heavin decided to venture online and found Thomas Edison State College (TESC, Trenton, NJ). "They were accredited and had exactly the degree I wanted," he says. Even better than the health and nutrition counseling major, explains Heavin, the school awarded credit for life experience. "You complete a portfolio and a professor/counselor assesses your work," he says. He also took and passed CLEP exams to get him a little closer to completing his degree.

"I had a variety of ways to demonstrate that I've acquired knowledge."
In 2003, Heavin finally earned his degree and says he felt a difference within minutes.

"The day I finished, I was sitting in New York City in the office of Ladies Home Journal being interviewed by their fitness expert," he explains. "The first question she asked me was about my education. I was able to say that I had a degree in health and nutrition counseling. That was a great moment."

Since then, Heavin has encouraged his employees to pump up their education regimen, too, by offering a $500 annual scholarship for franchisees. In addition, he has also has underwritten an online certification and an associate degree program in health and wellness for TESC.

Aerobics for the Mind
Earning his degree has helped Heavin carry out his philosophy - the importance of a balanced life. "You really have to have a balanced life to live well. Besides good health - eating right and exercise, there's the mental aspect, constantly learning. And there's spiritual growth," he says. "A proper balance of these three elements is critical. It's certainly been the key to my being."

-Dawn Papandrea

Mark Napier: Cop, Cyber Student, and His Kids' Worst Nightmare
Online degree:
Master's degree in criminal justice from Boston University (BU, Boston, MA)

Goal:
As a police commander in Tucson, AZ, he needs a master's if he ever wants to work toward a career as a police chief.

eLearning lesson:
After enrolling, the cop/dad found himself knee-deep in classes about white-collar crime, analytical research methods, and criminology; discussion message boards with fellow classmates and professors; and juggling an education with a full-time career and large family.

"These [classes] help me every day as a practitioner; this is what I do for a living," heexplains. "I put [my new] skills to work when I'm at work."

The family factor:
Napier is proud to set a good example for his children. "When they'd complain about [homework], I was less than sympathetic. I would point out that while they were watching TV, I was studying," recalls the father of four. "I'm sure they would've rather had [the type of] dad who came home from work and sat in front of the TV all night."

With a daughter studying business and a son majoring in mechanical/aerospace engineering at the University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), plus two kids on the way to college, Napier's goals are slowly being achieved.

"I didn't want just any master's degree, I wanted a prestigious one," he explains. "I want my kids to understand the importance of a good education, and that it's something that takes a lot of hard work."

What's happened since: Since Napier completed his graduate degree, he says things have been calmer around the house - he has more than just a mere hour to himself a day, he catches more than just a couple episodes of "Seinfeld," and he doesn't spend nearly as much time in front of the computer as he used to. As for his kids, however, dad still finds it hard to give them sympathy during finals. After all, he did manage to get A's while fighting crime.

-Ysolt Usigan

Dan Aptor: NBC Exec Exemplifies Integrity, Passion, and Drive
Online degree:
Master of science degree in management and systems from New York University (NYU, New York, NY)

Goal:
To gain theoretical knowledge in systems and project management directly relating to his job as the director of financial systems at NBC Universal. Instead of relying on things seen and experienced at work, he was excited to expand his knowledge base and become a formidable expert on specific subject matter.

eLearning lesson:
"The concepts I learned at NYU in my three years acted as a catalyst to apply theory to real-world problems," he notes. "I have significantly accelerated my career as I have been able to bridge the gap between finance and IT."

Thus far, says Aptor, he's on his way to accomplishing his academic goals. His continued learning has led to continued business success across a number of diverse platforms.

And, he's made lasting friendships along the way. As a result of the assignments in systems management, which NYU structures to require class participation and plenty of peer interaction, Aptor was able to form strong relationships despite the lack of face-to-face interaction.

The family factor:
For Aptor, such hard-working ideals were instilled in him early on. Having grown up in an immigrant family, this son of working class parents from Latvia (formerly part of the communist Soviet Union) arrived in the U.S. when he was five years old. Over the years, he overcame obstacles, including looking after his brother who is nine years younger. He attributes such experiences to learning resiliency and accountability for his actions. "It's no one's fault but my own if I don't succeed," he explains.

What's happened since:
Now that his online classes are completed, Aptor is currently preparing his thesis on Entity Resource Planning, which joins organizational processes such as human resources, finance, operations, marketing, and supply chain management into one system to work seamlessly across different currencies and time zones. And he's not stopping there. He is also busy researching behavioral issues - often the reason why implementations of these must-have business systems fail.

-Vicki Salemi