Travel Junky Works on Degree While Backpacking

Travel Junky Works on Degree While Backpacking We want to spotlight some of the dedicated students, faculty, and staff who make CSU Global what it is. Sharing their stories is an opportunity to connect our online learning community of peers all around the world.  We hope their stories inspire you just as they inspire us. 

Parker Johnson considers himself a very social person, so he was a bit worried about not having the personal interaction that comes from being in a classroom setting. But he also leads a life “on the go,” so he chose CSU Global for his degree.  He currently lives in Holdenville, Oklahoma and loves the outdoors, particularly biking, hiking, walking, and jogging. He also is a self-confessed travel junky. A Passion for Travel “If all goes according to plan, you’ll find me in a career that will allow me to grow personally and professionally – across cultural lines,” says Parker. He’s looking to find a career where he can do all of that and use his communications skills, ideally with the U.S. Department of State.  “But with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, I wasn’t exactly hire-able and needed a graduate degree to even submit an application,” says Parker.  He heard about CSU Global’s online master’s degree in International Management while attending a college fair, and quickly enrolled. Parker says he was even able to backpack across Europe, without having to put his ambitions of a degree on hold.  “Surprisingly I found it to be extremely do-able when the time for our trip arrived,” says Parker.  He says he doesn’t sleep well on planes, so he used the time on his nine hour transatlantic flight to write a paper and catch up on discussions. “When we arrived in Germany, I planned my homework around our schedule – making note of when we would have access to the Internet.”  With this little bit of planning, Parker visited eight countries and still completed his assignments on time. Part of a New Age Parker said at first the idea of attending an online college was a bit intimidating, but it has really helped him to see that he is quite capable of working from virtually anywhere with little direction. He says that in today’s global economy this skill set is quite valuable, adding that his experience has given him confidence from utilizing technology and web-based communications.  He also says he feels that having classmates from all over the globe has made him a more engaged citizen. His advice for those thinking about going the online route for their higher education – “We are in an age of major web-based expansion, and it is so exciting to be a part of this new age.” Are you a CSU Global student or alumni with a great story to share?  Email News [at] CSUGlobal.edu.