Jie Yang

Q: "Tell us about yourself."
A: "I was born in China and immigrated to the United States in 2005. My family and I resided in Worcester, MA, for most of my childhood and adulthood. I speak three different dialects of Chinese. My hobbies include trying out different restaurants in the area and going to karaoke with my friends. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Norwich University in 2021. I then realized that this was not the career path I wanted to follow and made the tough decision to change into a career in Higher Education. I currently serve as the Assistant Director of Housing Operations at Boston College, overseeing the University's Summer Operation and Transitional Phases."

Q: "What was your motivation for pursuing your degree?"
A: "Norwich University has always been a nourishing environment for me. During the time I spent at the school, I was surrounded by leaders who took the time to mentor me and develop my leadership capabilities. These leaders helped shape me into who I am today, and for that, I will forever be grateful for my decision to attend my bachelor's at Norwich University in 2017. The friends and colleagues I met motivated me to pursue my degree and never stop furthering my personal and professional development."

Q: "What are your future professional plans?"
A: "As a child, I wanted to become a teacher someday. Now, thanks to the wonderful guidance and education I received from Norwich's faculty, staff, and colleagues, I can finally make my childhood dream a reality."

Q: "Why did you choose Norwich?"
A: "I chose Norwich because of its distinction, rich history, and commitment to academic excellence. Norwich is unique in that you are immersed in an environment you never would have imagined. This experience includes having the traditional college experience while also getting an insight into what it means to live a military life."

Q: "Did you have any uncertainties with choosing an online program?"
A: "I did have a lot of difficulties as I am a hands-on learner and enjoy face-to-face contact. I was worried that I would not be able to learn from an online screen. However, because of the small class sizes, all of the faculty members I have worked with gave us the same personalized focus and attention to help us whenever necessary. All of the faculty members in the leadership program were incredibly responsive and always gave feedback in a timely manner. This almost made me forget that the entire program was just online, as I could learn all the material as fast and smoothly as when I did my in-person undergrad. I chose to give the online platform a chance because I believed in Norwich's ability to give me the proper education. I knew exactly how much the faculty and staff cared about its students. They always had this unwavering commitment to guide us towards our desired career paths." 

Q: "Prior to beginning your courses, what were some of your expectations for an online degree program?"
A: "I thought it was just going to be a lot of busy work assigned by the faculty and that I would have to teach myself the material. But the faculty members tailored each week to ensure that I focused on specific topics both in the activities we did, discussion posts we participated in, and the assigned readings we had."

Q: "How do you plan to use your degree in your career?"
A: "I plan on using the leadership principles and theories I learned to improve how I currently manage the individuals I supervise and positively impact the students I encounter. Norwich provided me with a wide array of experiences, which allowed me to become an asset to any team I work with. It also helped me gain the confidence to apply to other prestigious institutions with confidence."

Q: "Please tell us about a time in which you could put the knowledge you gained in the classroom to work immediately at your job."
A: "In my second class, I learned about the concept of emotional intelligence. This topic really spoke to me as it is relevant regardless of the career field you are in. I actually used a lot of what I learned in this program to tailor the student leader training I lead both at Norwich and now at Boston College."

Q: "What aspects of your Norwich experience will you carry most strongly with you?"
A: "The promise to always try my best regardless of what the odds may look like."

Q: "What advice would you give future students enrolling in one of Norwich's online programs?"
A: "Have an open mind and simply give it a try!"