A journey of a thousand graduates: UNK’s online Biology M.S. program
Posted: August 11, 2024 2:00:00 PM CDT
Avery Misfeldt became the 1,000th fully online graduate from the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Master of Science in Biology program during the summer 2024 commencement ceremony.
A biology teacher from Blair High School, Misfeldt represented one of the nine fully online 2024 summer graduates from UNK’s biology master’s program, together pushing the total number of online Biology M.S. graduates officially past the 1,000 mark.
“I think it's cool to be able to represent the college and the program,” Misfeldt said about being the milestone graduate. “Being the thousandth person just shows that it's a great program.”
This major achievement comes just one year after the program celebrated its 20th year as a fully online program, solidifying its place as one of the first fully online graduate programs in the nation.
Nearly 20 years ago, Angie Jackson, now a biology instructor at Northeast Community College, celebrated being among the first to graduate from the fully online program by giving semester tests at Norfolk Senior High School, unable to attend UNK’s commencement ceremony.
“I actually didn't know I was one of the first graduates,” Jackson said. “I knew it was a fairly new program, but the program was organized, in depth, and professional and I assumed it had been running for a couple of years already.” Jackson, like many today, needed a program that was flexible, allowing her to complete the program while working full-time. Though the program has evolved from sending recorded lectures on VHS tapes to online streaming, its rigor, connections, and flexibility have remained constant.
“It was like a community,” Misfeldt said. “Even though I was nowhere physically close to these people, I still was connected to them. Having that camaraderie and working together was beneficial to getting my degree because I didn't feel like I was alone.”
Misfeldt is now part of a new community, as she joins Jackson and more than 1,000 others as an online UNK Biology M.S. alumni.
