by Jennifer Merritt
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Head of the "Glass"
In the pursuit of a dream, in Norma Lee Hackney's case - an educational one - nothing should stand in your way, she believes. Nothing - not even the fact that she is a female in a male-dominated profession - ever stopped her before.
Norma Lee is the first woman to command a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship in a war zone. And of this not-so-small feat, she is humble. It's also what she attributes to making the decision to advance her education.
"I'm a leader, and the challenge is, how do you motivate your crew?" she asks. After Norma encouraged a fellow colleague to pursue his bachelor's degree, she decided to o live by example and began online study toward a Ph.D. in organization and management at Capella University. She graduated from the online program in 2005.
"I realized all this technology in the world is supposed to help us, but if you don't continue your education, you become a slave to it," she explains. "I decided to become a master rather than a slave."
Norma Lee says earning her degree online was the only way she could have done it, especially given that in January 2003, she was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom. "I continued my courses, it just took a little more discipline," she says.
Of course, you won't hear Norma Lee saying she's got it tough - it's just the nature of the job.
"I'm just another commanding officer on the waterfront," she says shyly. "My parents are very liberal and I grew up with three brothers, so it never dawned on me that there would be glass ceilings."
New Ways to Learn
Many only know Saudi Arabia as the place American troops were deployed to at the onset of Operation Desert Storm. To Aisha Cureton, it's the destination that fulfills her professional dream of experiencing a new culture while simultaneously opening her mind.
The New Jersey native has lived in the country for almost three years, and spends her time as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher to prep-year students and freshmen at an all-women private college in the city of Riyadh.
An avid traveler, Aisha fielded several offers to teach abroad, but settled on Saudi Arabia for religious, social, and economic reasons. "I am a Muslim," she says, "so it's a great place to raise children [because of] less crime and indecencies. and they offered me a secure job."
Aisha not only credits her experience in Saudi Arabia with broadening her views about life and the world, but also with motivating her to pursue a master's degree in education online at Walden University.
"I was looking to improve my skills and many of my colleagues had their degrees already," she says. She is quick to add, however, that her travels have given her a special kind of knowledge not found with a master's degree.
"Living here, I learned what 'culture' really represents. It's something that I couldn't explain in one interview, nor is it something I could learn from the TV, books, schools, or the media. I found out for myself that the best way to learn about a culture is to live within that society of people."
Indeed, Aisha's dream job may be baffling to some, given Saudi Arabia's harsh climate, severe punishments for crimes, and perceived lack of human rights, especially in regards to women. To this, she comes to the country's defense. "Based on my own travel experiences and research, I've come to realize that most cultures are dominated by men - although many will deny it," says the mother of two.
"There are many challenges, but [teaching abroad] is well worth the experiences you gain," she continues. "You will have much to bring back into your classrooms [and] your new cultural life experiences will definitely have an impact on your perspectives in life."
Finding the Silver Lining on a TV Screen
When Robert Florio was 14, a dive into a friend's swimming pool changed his life forever. After hitting his head on the bottom, Robert became a quadriplegic, but that hasn't stopped him from pursuing his artistic dreams with support coming from big-name major league baseball players and pop stars.
After rehabilitation, Robert found he had a lot of time on his hands. "I started to think, 'What do I want to do?'" Art became his refuge, so he started to paint watercolors using his mouth. As time wore on, Robert would think more and more about his time in rehab, and how he wished for something more than television to entertain himself and his visitors.
Much like art, video games have always been a passion for Robert, and though he is still able to play some games using a joystick, he says most do not perform as well with analog. "I realized there's a market for [games for people with disabilities]," he says. "It's a form of stress therapy and it can help a lot of people."
To reach his goal, Robert enrolled in the Art Institute Online as a video game art and design major. Though he started his training at a community college, he finds online learning to be more convenient.
"When I started, I learned it's actually better than being on campus," he says. "You can archive [your work], and it's easy to say, 'Hey, check out what I just did.'" The Glen Burnie, Maryland native expects to graduate in 2007 with the hopes of one day running his own game design company or working with another company to specialize in video games for the disabled - though he admits he's anxious to make his ideas come to fruition.
Given the amount of publicity he's received lately, Robert should have no problem scoring a job. Last year, his good friend, Baltimore Orioles player Jay Gibbons helped him raise money for his expensive medical care and equipment by donating $500 for every home run he hit. He's also found support from a Baltimore Blast soccer player, as well as Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens, and the pop group Maroon 5.
"I know I'm going to be successful," he says. "Art was always something I admired, and I just need to stay healthy and remember it's not always bad to have my injury."
For these three online learners making very clear marks on the professional world, education helped them overcome obstacles - both physical and societal ones - and live the lives they dreamed.
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