Tsunami survivor chooses online university to pursue Ph.D.

Online learning instructors care about your success too!

Chris Xaver
Chris Xaver is the program chair of Communications and Media Arts at Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden, New York. TC3, as it's known, is part of the State University System of New York (SUNY).

Chris brings to TC3 a strong and varied background. She received her B.S in broadcast journalism, cum laude, from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. She received her M.A. in political science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse. Chris is currently working on a PhD in educational leadership at Capella University.

For more than 20 years, Chris worked as a reporter and anchor in both television and radio. She still fills in more than 10 weeks a year to keep her skills sharp and her finger on the pulse of what is happening in the industry.

World Wide Learn spoke with Chris to find out how she fits online learning into her schedule.

World Wide Learn:	Why did you decide on an online degree program, and why Capella?
Chris Xaver:	I am in the PhD program at Capella. I chose online because it is an ideal option for a working professional. While I have a host of the world's best colleges in my backyard (Cornell, Hobart Williams Smith, Wells, Hamilton, etc.) none of them offer me the flexibility to work my education into my teaching career. Capella offers me that flexibility along with the same access to world-class instructors.
World Wide Learn:	What are your career aspirations? How does getting a degree help?
Chris Xaver:	Before I was injured in the Asian tsunami of 2004, I would have said my aspiration was to move into education leadership. Now, after realizing what is most important in life, I do not have those same career aspirations. What I think is so wonderful though is that I still want the PhD, just not for what it can do for me, but for what I can do for others. Since surviving the tsunami, I have spent a lot of time in self-reflection. I realize now that life is about helping others, not helping yourself. I want to use what I learn in the PhD program at Capella to help create positive change at my institution.
World Wide Learn:	What has surprised you so far about your program? What are some things that you hadn't expected?
Chris Xaver:	How absolutely rigorous the program is. I went to two of the best schools in the world for broadcast journalism and political science. I can say without hesitation that my experience at Capella not only equals my Syracuse experience, it exceeds it. I had no idea how engaging the online environment would be. Whenever I have a few minutes to spare, I log on to see what my instructor or my classmates are saying about the topic we are discussing that week. I am so much more engaged in the material and the discussions than I ever was in a brick-and-mortar setting.
World Wide Learn:	How do you fit your coursework into your busy work schedule? How much time do you spend per week?
Chris Xaver:	I go online whenever I have a spare moment. I also make time each evening, after dinner, to devote time to reading and writing. I tend to average about 3 to 4 hours a day, 6 days a week on the two courses I take each quarter.
World Wide Learn:	What are some challenges you've faced with respect to your degree coursework?
Chris Xaver:	The only challenge so far is really learning to write in APA (American Psychological Association) style, which is Capella's standard for its PhD programs. It is a style of writing I am unaccustomed to. But it's really not daunting, just a learning experience.
World Wide Learn:	How is it communicating with your instructor, or other students, in a completely online environment?
Chris Xaver:	The online experience is fine. I feel very connected to the other students. I go and look at their pictures and read their bios. I do not feel as if I am missing anything.
World Wide Learn:	What advice would you give to someone considering getting their degree online?
Chris Xaver:	Go for it! Do not question your abilities. If you can get a bachelor's degree, you can get a master's, and if you can do that, a PhD is within your grasp. Fear and intimidation seem to be the reason many people do not pursue their degrees.