A Tennessee native, Beka Wright took a leap and began pursuing her Master of Arts in Journalism in 2017 through The University of Alabama’s online program. Beka earned her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Journalism and American History from Tennessee Tech University. After completing her undergraduate work in 2016, Beka knew she wanted to continue her studies and earn a master’s degree.
“I love taking classes. I know it will help with my career eventually, but I just enjoy constantly learning,” Beka said.
UA’s online program is not Beka’s first taste of online classes. After meeting her husband in college, Beka moved with him to Nashville and finished her bachelor’s degree online. Beka is now a social media director for Chick-fil-A where she oversees all social media operations for the Nashville area stores.
Along with a full-time job and classes, Beka also became a mom since starting the program. She and her husband have an 18-month old daughter, Ellie, whom Beka enjoys spending time with. “The way my career is, I can be at home with Ellie and do my work from home while also being able to do classwork. It might be weird but I always like having a full plate.”
As she was searching for a master’s degree program, Beka knew she needed to focus on programs that were 100% online, so she could stay close to home with her family and maintain her career. Working on her degree from Nashville has allowed Beka to enjoy extra time with her family when she isn’t working or finishing assignments. The Wrights can often be found watching the Nashville Predators play at Bridgestone Arena where they are season ticket holders.
Besides being drawn to the flexibility UA Online offered her, Beka was immediately attracted to the University when she saw how affordable the program was. “Honestly, Alabama had the best price for the quality of the education.”
The University’s prestige was another factor that led Beka to select the program. “I knew Alabama had a great online program,” she said, and she’s proud to say she’s a student at The University of Alabama.
One of Beka’s favorite professors so far has been Dr. Dianne Bragg, who taught her history of journalism course. The course originally piqued Beka’s interest because of her history background and love for learning about the past. She said Dr. Bragg cares about her students and encourages them to meet their academic goals.
“People think you won’t interact with anyone when taking an online course, but my professors were always willing to talk on the phone or Skype when there was something I needed help with,” Beka said.
Beka is set to graduate in 2022 and is already contemplating her post-graduation plans. “Earning a doctorate is on my future goals list and I want to be able to instill that love for learning into my daughter.”
While Beka’s enthusiasm for UA is high, she remains a loyal University of Tennessee fan and still hasn’t quite gotten the hang of saying “Roll Tide.” Maybe her visit to campus to walk during graduation could change that.
Published: August 30th, 2020