How did you fit your education into your life?
The short answer: it’s possible. It requires a lot of planning, habit clustering, and knowing when to just stop and go to sleep.
The complete answer? Balancing my full-time job with studying took me time to figure out, and I got better at it by year two.
By that time, I learned to plug all the important dates from the class syllabus into my calendar at the start of the semester. This helped me to figure out how to plan my classwork, as well as holidays and time with my family.
The first Organizational Behavior class with Professor Paul Green really brought me back to 19-year-old me when I was in college. Waking up early on Saturday to study frantically and exam anxiety were familiar memories.
My job already took up so much mental energy, so taking graduate-level courses was a particular challenge. I previously took a few courses for fun through HES: French, creative writing, and one Japanese course, and I chose to take a course in organizational behavior due to an interest in the subject.
I initially began without the intention of pursuing a graduate degree; at most, I thought I might earn a graduate certificate. But as I got more into the courses, I started thinking about the next one. I was also surrounded by peers who were doing the same thing and that motivated me to keep going.
In summer 2024, I took the Science of Happiness course to meet the on-campus requirement for my degree. The coursework was rigorous and challenged me as a student. It always makes me chuckle remembering how stressful learning about happiness was!
By this point, I was in my third year and my supervisors were very supportive of my choice.
What did you learn about your own capabilities through the rigor of your coursework? Were there any moments in particular that pushed you to grow?
For those in my industrial-organizational psychology program, joking about the Statistics class will elicit many groans. Statistics required utilizing all resources available to students. For me, it was going to additional weekly sessions by rotating TAs, studying with classmates, and reaching out to my assigned TA when needing clarification and guidance. It changed week by week but it would not have been possible without the peer support.
That class was probably one of the hardest 3 months of my life and brought me to my knees each week. But getting up each time taught me that it is possible to endure something hard and come out successfully doing your best. Just take a deep breath, take another, and open my laptop and start reading.
Was there a turning point or moment during your experience at HES that changed how you see yourself or your future?
After successfully finishing Statistics and Public Speaking — both personally challenging — while staying on top of my job, I felt positive momentum building.
I was the undisputed heroine in my life story and earning a degree wasn’t the end of this version of myself. It was the beginning of this new chapter of my life to try something that scared me, embrace uncertainty, ask for help, and succeed.
This will help me grow in my current HR role, but I’m also open to where destiny takes me.
What does earning a Harvard degree mean to you?
Ever since I received the email that said, “Your degree has been officially conferred! You are now a Harvard Graduate!” the reality set in. It still feels like a miracle.
This graduate degree means a lot to me because before starting this journey, it didn’t seem possible. Like this shining, mythical city that was always before me but just out of reach — blocked by a closed road and a toll bridge.
I know it will change my life in so many ways I didn’t even imagine was possible. Even thinking about it now makes me emotional.
I can’t wait to see where I am a year from now!
Describe your Extension experience in one word.
Surreal.
