By Vicki Salami

Accounting, event planning, public relations, business management, psychology, nursing.

It's not a list of hot professions or majors, rather these are some alter egos of real-life Moms. And, as more and more of these multi-talented women realize the need to recommit themselves to education - not only to better themselves, but to serve as further inspiration to their children - the phrase "Moms Take Charge" assumes a whole new academic meaning.

Justine Maiello, a mother of two from Oak Ridge, NJ, wanted to take charge of the professional persona from her pre-Mommy days. to a certain extent. Admitting her professional skills were getting stagnant at home, the domestic diva pursued a master's degree in healthcare administration. Of course, it's a far cry from her days as a financial analyst.

"I know that I can't return to my profession as an analyst and still be the kind of mom I want to be," she notes.

For students like Justine, returning to school provides the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills for a career change. And, when such lessons are delivered via online programs, Moms don't have to put their other responsibilities on the back burner.

"You're investing time in yourself and honing your skills, anticipating for the time in your life when a return to the workforce is right for you," she encourages.

Justine one day hopes to run a small specialty hospital or research institution, and is confident that a master's from the Online School of Seton Hall will give her an edge.

That's Kelly Bruns' plan, too. The Limerick, Penn. mother of two expects to complete a bachelor's degree in business administration before 2008. Her educational pursuit is paving her way to a future endeavor - one that includes adding "small office manager" or "founder of online business" to her resume.

As for the challenges of juggling intense course loads at Villanova University's distance education program with laundry loads, Kelly is thankful that her husband's involvement has been a huge relief.

"Nick has been a great help with the home chores while I am taking classes," Kelly explains. It also doesn't hurt that she can work online on her coursework at night after Madison, 5 and Julia, 4, are sleeping. "It provides the flexibility to balance family and work."

Justine agrees. "Like a lot of mothers, it wasn't feasible for me to go back to school the traditional way." Online classes afforded Justine the convenience of logging on when her son was attending pre-school or taking a nap.

For Cynthia May (Washburn, Wisc.), flexibility was important, but so was feeling connected with the adult world. Cynthia took four online classes in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at Penn State University World Campus to supplement her B.S. degree in geography, and to refresh her expertise on the subject matter.

Many stay-at-home moms admit feeling isolated, which is why Cynthia was excited about participating in a team project. Though the networking was virtual, she explains, the interaction was rich and the connections she made with classmates from other states were invaluable.

Feeling like the geography field had moved on without her, pursuing a degree provided Cynthia with current developments, as well as interpersonal connections she yearned for.

"I wanted so much to be able to get back into the swing of things, both educationally and socially," Cynthia explains. She was able to achieve that connection through communication with classmates.

Cynthia has taken her educational experience and charged into a new career, instructing classes in world regional geography, global positioning systems, and GIS at a small private liberal arts college.

Although Moms are among the more than one million adults enjoying the flexibility and time management of online classes, they should also expect hard work. According to Robert Manuel, associate dean of New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, while convenience and flexibility are advantageous to online learning, students aren't getting off easy. His belief: Quality cannot be compromised.

"At NYU, we ensure that the quality of our online degrees are every bit a rigorous as those that are delivered on site." In other words, it's a way to make education available to qualified students who cannot travel to New York on a regular basis to attend classes.

Without learning options, students like Justine, Kelly, and Cynthia wouldn't have such access to furthering their education while maintaining their home responsibilities. Not only do they strive to improve their skills and reconnect with technology and subject matter, they're laying the foundation for exciting, new careers. Not to mention setting a powerful example of educational passion and an aspiration to advancement that will extend to those they have the most to teach - their children.