Manar Abdelbaky was a student at California State University, Northridge and working part-time jobs at amusement parks. That sounds like the typical beginning of a college student’s story. However, by the time she graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Alabama, her story and life were anything but typical. Manar’s path to graduation is the story of a determined spirit that refused to abandon her educational goals even as other dreams were taking shape in her life.
After Manar met and married her husband, who worked in Arkansas, she relocated and transferred all of her Cal State credits to the University of Arkansas. However, her tenure there was short because of an exciting new development for her family.
“I got pregnant with my son, and giving birth while having to attend class isn’t exactly an ideal situation for any mother,” Manar explained. This new role of mother became Manar’s priority, and her passion, love and happiness for her family flowed through her. A few months later, her family moved to Maryland for her husband’s career, and she postponed her studies as she considered how education could fit into her new life as a mother.
“At this point, I had a three month old, and attending a campus in person was out of the question. The closest campus with a mechanical engineering program was two hours away! But I knew if I kept putting it off, it would only get harder and harder.”
Determined to finish what she had started, Manar reframed her approach. She had heard about UA Online from her brother’s friend who had continued his education through UA’s online programs. “I saw they had the mechanical engineering degree I was looking for, so I looked into it, did my research, reviewed the ratings of the department, and I’ve got to say I was pretty impressed,” she said.
Manar adapted her academic route by calling UA to begin the transfer process. “All the advisers were supportive, and they took a deep interest in helping me transfer. I began in the summer of 2017. ‘This time, no more breaks,’ I told myself.”
She remembers that the first semester was a challenge, as the interpersonal experience is different as a distance student. But she met that challenge head-on, staying focused on her goals, and as she adjusted to the online environment, she says she “quickly got the hang of things.”
“Being a mother and a student, this program was just a godsend. I was able to revolve my studies around my baby’s schedule. I no longer had the dilemma of having to choose between delaying my education or leaving my son at a daycare. That mom guilt would take over. But I also didn’t want to stay home with my infant and delay my studies even more.” UA Online offered Manar the breakthrough of being able to chase both dreams – being home with her son and earning a premier engineering degree.
Another advantage she found in the program was her ability to maintain her progress while pursuing another passion: travel. “I explored major cities from my bucket list: New York City, Chicago, Philly, Miami, Austin, and Milwaukee – to name a few. I still could visit my family in California, and we visited my husband’s family in Palestine. That would have been really hard to do if I was in another program.”
Manar says UA’s primarily online mechanical engineering program is rigorous and “a lot of work,” but also “extremely rewarding.” She credits the faculty and staff of the program as chief influencers of student success. She mentioned Dr. Beth Todd, Dr. S. Nima Mahmoodi and Chelsea Fancher, saying, “They really knew the ins and outs of distance ed, and they were so helpful.”
Another main contributor to her success? Her family. “I couldn’t have done it without their support. On days when I wanted to drop everything and give up, my husband encouraged me and helped me to finish. On exams days, he would take our son to leave me in peace to study and complete my work. My mother would fly in from California to stay and allow me time and space to focus and study. Other family and friends were also very supportive – even small acts of kindness contributed to my finishing my degree,” she said. So, of course, when Manar made the trip for graduation to Tuscaloosa – we’re sure it was another major city on her bucket list – she brought her family with her.
“It feels so surreal. I’m finally able to end this chapter. It’s been a challenging and fulfilling journey.”
Her plans now? Well, there’s another exciting new development for her family in 2020 – a daughter expected in the coming months. “For now, I am planning to devote my time to my family for a while,” Manar said. She also plans to pursue her career or build on her bachelor’s with a master’s in aerospace engineering in the future. Either way, we’re sure we’ll see Manar making an impact in the engineering field soon!
Published: August 30th, 2020