WGU Alumni Podcast
WGU’s alumni network now has more than 350,000 graduates living in all 50 states. The WGU alumni podcast highlights the incredible work that our alumni are doing in their local communities. We also share benefits, perks, resources and partner information to help our graduates stay engaged and get the most out of the alumni community.
WGU Alumni Podcast
Learning Together: How a Husband-Wife Team Balanced Family and Careers While Earning Degrees at WGU
Anna and Chris Decker share their inspiring journey of completing WGU degrees together while raising two small children and working full-time jobs. Their competitive spirit, teamwork approach, and unwavering support for each other enabled them to achieve academic success despite numerous challenges.
On this episode you’ll learn how the Deckers:
• Balanced parenting duties while taking turns studying and sitting for exams
• Used late nights and time between infant duties to complete coursework
• Leveraged employer benefits to make education financially feasible
• Applied newly gained knowledge immediately to their professional roles that led to career promotion
• Discovered new learning techniques that translated to workplace efficiency
Hey everybody, welcome to the WGO Alumni Podcast. We're thrilled that you're tuning in for yet another episode. My name is Jeff Burton. I'm with the WGO Alumni Engagement Team and we are excited to continue into 2025. We're going to keep things rolling with our alumni podcast and the theme of it's Never Too Late. Things rolling with our alumni podcast and the theme of it's never too late. We find that this theme really captures the experience of many of our students and now our graduates.
Speaker 1:At WGU. We've really enjoyed connecting with our graduates and hearing their inspiring stories. Today we're going to be joined by a husband-wife duo who you're really going to enjoy hearing from. Anna and Chris Decker, from North Carolina, recently walked at our Orlando commencement last fall and I had the pleasure of meeting and connecting with them and their cute young family.
Speaker 1:Now, in terms of background, anna is a team lead for health navigators at Sun Life. She recently earned her bachelor's degree in health and human services from WGU and next up for her is to enroll in the master's degree in public health or healthcare administration or, as Anna says, possibly both. And Chris is the dev ops manager at System Logistics Corporation. He recently completed his bachelor's degree in computer science and Chris reports that he has used this degree to change the way his company approaches the deployment of software, along with the network engineering for their smart warehouses. I've really been impressed with Anna and Chris, who juggled school, family and work, and I look forward to them sharing their story with you, our audience, and how they're using their degrees and the knowledge and skills they learned along the way to make a difference and to advance in their careers.
Speaker 1:Anna and Chris, welcome to the WG Alumni Podcast. Thank you, good to be here. Same so great to connect with you again Now. I mentioned that you're in North Carolina, but tell us where in North Carolina and what you enjoy most about living there.
Speaker 2:Sure. So we live in the Asheville area in North Carolina and what we love about living in this area is being surrounded by mountains. It's just a much slower pace in life being in the South, and it's just the beauty of the Blue Ridge and in the Smokies that we enjoy the most.
Speaker 1:Very nice. How long have you lived there?
Speaker 2:We moved there actually in 2018 for the position for the company that Chris has now, so we've been here almost over five years, very nice.
Speaker 1:Now I mentioned that you walked in Orlando and I wanted to ask you a little bit about that experience. So share with us how you celebrated the completion of each of your degrees.
Speaker 3:Sure, yeah. So we knew that we wanted to walk the stage. We were deciding whether we wanted to take the walk in Salt Lake City at the headquarters or whether we wanted Orlando, and Orlando ended up being a little bit more feasible for us, so we planned a whole trip around it. We moved to a cruise out of Miami afterwards to take my first time in the Bahamas, so that was a really cool way to celebrate. It was a beautiful trip down to Orlando. The alumni event was amazing. We got to meet a whole bunch of cool people, yourself included, and you know it was really a great graduation weekend. We both walked the stage on the same day, even though we graduated from two different schools. So the ability to walk the stage the same day, both of our kids got to see both of us graduate that's cool, yeah, together on the same day. It was a great trip. And then we capped it off by heading down to Miami and taking a cruise out of Miami for a week.
Speaker 1:That's really cool, so you're able to celebrate in Orlando. Go on the cruise.
Speaker 2:Have either of you been on a cruise before? No, never before. It was our first time, and it was our children's first time too.
Speaker 1:Yep, that's great to hear and, like so many of our graduates, it's a great opportunity to come and to celebrate and then to do something fun, whether that's visit the parks or experience that part of the country, and I love that you guys were able to travel down to Miami and go on a cruise to the Bahamas. Now I understand your getting home was a little bit interesting. Can you explain a little bit of what I mean by that?
Speaker 2:Honestly, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. So in the time after walking the stage, we immediately went to Miami and then boarded the ship and spent an amazing seven days cruising. But then at the end of our cruise was actually when that Hurricane Helene was impacting North Carolina. So it was towards the end of our cruise that we were hearing news about the devastation in our area, which we did not see coming at all Like. It was a complete surprise because we were still in the high of you know, celebrating our graduation.
Speaker 2:So the plan was after the cruise was to drive home immediately after, but because of the devastation of the hurricane, the roads were blocked. We could not go home. Luckily, you know, we heard from friends and family and that they were all fine, it's just that we couldn't head home. So that, coming from literally a high of you know, graduating and celebrating and partying to our first time cruise, which was great success and perfect weather, to all of a sudden not being able to come home, was definitely a journey and it was a lot of highs and lows, if I could say that.
Speaker 3:That was really interesting.
Speaker 2:But then we got home and you know it was a blessing that our home was unharmed, our friends and our family was safe. It was just an unexpected part of this whole celebration.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my goodness, yeah. I can't imagine going from the highs of just celebrating your graduation and then going on that cruise. When did you learn that the hurricane had hit North Carolina? Were you on your cruise, or? I don't know if you had internet service or not.
Speaker 3:So we kind of knew on our trip down, on the way down to Orlando we knew that there was a storm coming, but Asheville being so far up in the mountains we tend to get some reduced weather compared to some of the other areas in Western North Carolina.
Speaker 3:So we were personally just kind of like oh you know, you know it might be a bad storm, we might get some flooding, but we didn't think that it would be as bad as it was. Around Wednesday to Thursday we started getting some reports we had internet limited internet on her phone we started getting some reports that the storm might actually be pretty terrible. And then Thursday night was when we started to get reports from kind of friends and family and some co-workers that, okay, there's some pretty bad damage to western North Carolina. And we knew Friday as we were getting off the boat, that it was going to be an adventure getting home. So, with all the road closures and a lot of the supplies being bought out, stores being closed, we knew that we kind of needed to make some preparations on the way home.
Speaker 1:Wow. Well, congratulations to the both of you, and I'm glad that everything was safe. When you returned home Again, that was last fall. You returned home Again, that was last fall, and so you know six months or so has passed since then. I want to ask you a little bit about your journey and kind of, have you highlight your experience here at WGU and really showcase the good work that you're doing. What was it like going to WGU together? Like I'm curious who enrolled first at WGU and what was that experience like?
Speaker 3:So actually I enrolled first. We found out that we were going to have a child and we knew that we were going to kind of be up late nights anyway. So I really wanted to take the time to improve my personal career. Now that I was going to have a kid in my life and another person that I was going to be responsible for in addition to my wife, I really wanted to take the time to invest in myself and I figured the nights that I would be up with a kid anyway, I might as well put that time to use in between feedings and changing. So it was just kind of the perfect opportunity. I had started the process and had gone through my first semester when I was telling Anna how great it was.
Speaker 2:At first I thought it was crazy. We were about to have a newborn and we were going to be up nights and longer hours and then Takon's call to that you know responsibility was like oh wow. But then he did put it in a positive note that we might as well put that time to use, because it was also around COVID when we started it you know, online schooling was more prevalent.
Speaker 2:It was more encouraging because you didn't have to go in person, you know, to attend college. So he enrolled first. So he enrolled first. So he definitely, you know, talked to a mentor, discovered how the program was and how it aligned from you know what degree he was going to get and how it was going to help his career.
Speaker 2:I was finishing up a semester talking about how great it was. When, you know, we got the idea for us both to do it together, learning that it was possible. You know it was possible to do this in our own time. That's what encouraged me to then follow through and also talk to my mentor and see how this my program of interest would help in my career. So then I enrolled. So then, moving forward, we were both in school with our first newborn at that time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what an experience. And obviously you know, but I would be willing to bet that you were cheerleading each other and celebrating as each of you passed assessments or progressed through the program. What did that look like?
Speaker 3:That was honestly the biggest motivation for me is the fact that we both were doing it together. We both understood what it took and really were there to support each other, not only on the regular nights where both of us were studying side by side and working through our course material, but also around exams, proctored tests. The ability for one person to kind of take point with the kids while the person testing could, you know, lock the door and really focus on getting these courses passed was the biggest help, and I don't know that I would have been successful without somebody like Anna there to help me with the logistics of going to college.
Speaker 2:We're already very competitive in nature. So just putting that in place of like, okay, how many classes have you finished so far? And, honestly, like not giving each other the option to fail you know, with WTU it's a lot of like a pass and fail situation, but they also don't let you fail. You know it's nothing's perfect. You know there are times that classes are much harder than we expect. There's a lot more studying that needs to be done.
Speaker 2:So coordinating it, it like he said logistically where you know, if he had to study then I had to watch the children. You know, if I had to study then he had to watch the children, because of course we had another child, by the way, immediately after, which was unplanned, but again, wonderful surprise. So it was a lot of coordination there between our full-time work schedule, having two babies under two at the time, and then also like managing full-time school. It was encouraging every time he passed the class or every time he aced the test, you know where he exceeded, kind of like, the grading. It was motivating for each of us to see that. So that's kind of what pushed us and what made it work. Is it because seeing in each other's success is what made us move forward?
Speaker 1:I love that. That is really, really cool, and I got to imagine that brought you closer together as a couple too, did it not?
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:Ultimately we were already pretty close, but this was kind of it kind of gave the same vibe as a team sport. You know, we were both in this together and working towards the same objective.
Speaker 2:So it was definitely another thing that we could connect over yeah, and in saying the coordinating our schedules, it's not as easy and it's like as, oh, I only watch the children for like an hour. It's almost like the whole night, you know, was dedicated to a class, you know, because you had to prepare, you had to study, and then the exam itself is about an hour. So it's a lot of understanding and patience and really both of us ensuring each other that we have the same goal the same goal to finish this.
Speaker 2:You know what?
Speaker 1:we started. I love that, kay. I'm going to put you guys on the spot here. This is not one of the original questions, but be honest, did one of you take a nap? You were supposed to be studying, the other was watching the kids. Maybe you studied for an hour. And Anna, come on, did you take a nap, chris? Did You're pointing to Chris? I'm the napper? Yeah, that was me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I am not a napper, he is. So when I say that I watch the children, I watch the children for sure. So most of our days were filled during the daytime with real life going through work and then coming home and making sure that all the kids are fed and then going out to gymnastics and all kinds of different activities, sports clubs at night, and then getting dinner and putting the kids to bed and doing the chores around the house and then we kind of go right into college. And it was really helpful for both of us to understand that that's what it needed to be and to kind of support each other on the nights when we had a really full day and we're kind of tired and kind of flagging and the motivation is low, but the support system that we had really enabled us to get it done.
Speaker 1:That's so awesome. I love you sharing that. For those that are tuning into this, it's such an inspiration that even if you have work children, young children, you know school. You can juggle it all. And I'm sure for those that are listening to this that are a graduate or a current student, they're probably nodding along listening to you just saying yep, I totally get that. Nodding along listening to you just saying yep, I totally get that, and I love that you're able to be successful, to support one another and to get through as you did. Now, chris, you mentioned a second ago that when you learned that you were expecting that that was motivation for you to go back to school, was there any other motivation or any other thinking in terms of kind of dialing that up? Had you been looking at going back to school for a while? Was it something that you had put off? Tell us kind of a little bit about what that looked like for you.
Speaker 3:So I guess it runs in the family. So my dad, when he found out that he was expecting me, he used that as the motivation to roll forwards and to go get his degree to kind of secure his future. And that was kind of what sparked the idea for me. I had been, I had an associate's degree before. I used that to get the position that I was in. But the landscape at work was kind of shifting and there was going to be some new opportunities opening up. So I really wanted to. I really wanted to make myself available and a candidate for those positions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very nice. How about for you, anna? Obviously, you joined after you saw the success that Chris was having, but had you been considering going back to school earning a bachelor's degree for some time, or what did that look like for you?
Speaker 2:I have actually. So before he even enrolled, I achieving my bachelor's degree because I was in a leadership role was to solidify my position in the company. It's a competitive market it really is, and if you're not showing that you're willing to learn all the time and achieve things not only professionally but also academically, you know you're not going to stay in that competitive market. So to me, what I was already exploring getting a bachelor's degree because I too held a associate's degree related to my current position but a bachelor's degree just to me, is solidifying my leadership role. So in mentioning that I'm going to pursue my master's degree again, then now that's advancing myself. So it's just kind of one step at a time in currently holding my position, showing kind of positivity in my leadership role, and then pursuing more education so that I could further advance. So that's kind of where that stemmed is us just exploring what academic achievements we could get from this.
Speaker 1:Now, was there anything holding you back? Maybe I'm going to ask you to be a little bit vulnerable with us. Did you have self-doubt or fears, or you know different things? Anything that was maybe holding you back from going after this dream?
Speaker 2:One of the things that we heavily considered, I would say, starting a young family was financials above time.
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 2:You know I'm making. There's always time. Honestly, if there's something that you want to achieve, you can make time for it, you know. So there's always some time to dedicate to what you want to achieve. But then there's that technicality of like, okay, now how do you fund this? Especially now we're going to have a family of four, not a family of two.
Speaker 2:So the financial thing was something that we did consider. So we looked into the advantages that each of us had from our companies. So we definitely took advantage of that. So that's kind of again, another motivating factor is that if we had some benefits to our companies that would help cover the cost of college, then that was more feasible for us In WGU. The cost of going through WGU is so much more economical than all of the other programs that I compared it to. Honestly, it's just more feasible for two full-time workers with some benefits from work to have this done, because it's so affordable. It's so much more affordable for what you get from the program, from completing a bachelor's degree. So I would say yeah, in full honesty. The financials was something that held us back for a long time before discovering WG.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Any regrets on doing it? Not a single one.
Speaker 2:Not at all. It's worth every penny. That's awesome.
Speaker 1:I love to hear that and I love to hear that from our graduates. Right, the return on investment, because you mentioned that it is affordable, but it still is a commitment, both financial and obviously time and energy and all that. So I'm happy to hear it worked really well for you.
Speaker 3:It was immediately rewarding to me. Sorry not to cut you off. It was immediately rewarding to me. Between the time that I officially graduated and the time that I walked the stage, a new position opened up for management within the company that I was only eligible because of my degree with WGU and I was considered and was promoted within my company for a raise. You know that was more than the cost of tuition, so it was immediately, was immediately valuable.
Speaker 1:Chris, congratulations. That's so awesome to hear. That's really, really cool. I'm curious what you would say is the biggest unexpected surprise or bonus that came along with this. In addition to the financial bump that you received, Chris, Were there any other bonuses or any other surprises that came along the way?
Speaker 3:Honestly, the biggest thing for me that I learned with WGU is how I learn, and that wasn't something that I'd ever considered before, but with it being self-paced and the need for me to kind of be self-motivating and driving this entire program myself not to downplay the help of the mentor, but it really is kind of all on you and you work through and find the way that you learn the most, the easiest and the way that you retain the information. So I've taken that out of the school, out of the process of obtaining this degree, and applied that to my professional life and I get work done a lot easier now really fundamentally understanding how I learned.
Speaker 1:That's great. That's great, chris. Thank you, anna, anything that stood out to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's the networking aspect of things. So when I joined the healthcare program of WGU, I was kind of pulled with a lot of the nursing students, but then some of them were also in health administration. So being able to talk to the different types of people and their reason for going to school and what they were trying to achieve, that was surprising to me for an online school. For an online school, you know what they were trying to achieve. That was surprising to me for an online school.
Speaker 1:You know for an online school.
Speaker 2:You would think you're doing this alone or by yourself. So that's why we did it together, so we had somebody to go to. But then we were actually, you know, we did have some interaction with other students. And again there is, you know, your mentor, that you could talk to the professors. So it's the networking side of it, where you got to learn about other people like you and we met with you and, you know, kind of telling you our story. That's something that you wouldn't necessarily expect from attending an online school, you know. So to me that was surprising. That was surprising that there is that aspect of WGU that I just did not expect at all. On top of that, it's also the technologies. I've been out of school for a long time and been working for a decade and going back to school and learning about new programs or platforms to utilize in learning. I was actually honestly able to apply that to my work in managing a team. That's made it more efficient.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Well, thank you to both of you for sharing that. One quick plug, if I may, because and I think what you state is really interesting In an online component, people come just because they want to do it kind of on their own or fit around their schedule, right, and yet there can be a sense of community, and we've. In talking with other alumni, they sometimes are surprised, like yourself, that there is a network of people, and I just want to give a plug to the website, wguedu slash alumni, and right at the top there's a community. Our latest is WGU Connect and there's an opportunity for graduates such as yourselves to go on there and to connect with other graduates that again could live across the country or they could be right in your backyard, and there are a lot of new and exciting technologies and platforms that we are using.
Speaker 1:So definitely, if folks have not been aware of these communities, we invite you to go to the website. And also there's an active LinkedIn community or LinkedIn group that you can find at WGU Alumni Group if you search that in LinkedIn. That it's a closed group and there's a lot of engagement and a lot of different folks and you can connect with the individual that is right in your part of the country from our team. So for you folks, Anna and Chris, it would be. Michelle is in our Tennessee, she lives in Tennessee but covers that region, and so definitely get on there and connect with her, and again, we would invite everybody listening to do the same. It's great opportunity. So, as we continue on with the interview, I'm curious if there was a moment that you knew it wasn't too late for you to take the plunge, if you will, and to go back to school.
Speaker 2:I think for me it was when I met the people that was doing this with us. A lot of them, too, were already professionals, people that are already nurses, people that are already VPs in their companies. So to me it wasn't too late, because there's still something to learn, you know so to me.
Speaker 2:That was the moment that I was like oh, it's okay, I don't have to be a 20-year-old just you know, starting college to do this. It was when I was ready and it fit that it all worked out, that we could afford it, we had the spare time and also it was in an achievable time period.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very good. How about for you, Chris?
Speaker 3:For me, I would say I had just finished my SQL class and I was on a site in a smart warehouse and something came up and I really needed to tap in and help out some of the developers that had just graduated college. And I was in and I was understanding SQL, having just experienced it for the first time in this class, and I was involved and able to help get the problem resolved. And for me it kind of clicked to like this isn't just for the piece of paper, Like I'm actually learning real world applicable technologies. And it was just, you know, sitting in a room full of people who are 10 years younger than me, it still just didn't. It didn't feel like I was too far gone to be useful anymore.
Speaker 1:Yeah, awesome. Now. You mentioned a little bit here a second ago that you have no regrets. It was a great return on your investment. But I'm curious to have you elaborate a little bit on how completing your degree helped you in your career. And that's a perfect transition, chris, from what you just shared that after that course you were using hands-on skills that were helping you succeed. Anything to add to that, chris, or Anna, anything that stands out to you on how the degree has helped you?
Speaker 2:The very interesting part about my course, which is Health and Human Services, is it really directly applies to care coordinators. Like anybody that holds a position in care coordination, social work, human services, anything that I learned from my class I could immediately apply to what I did. So I just seemed like I was more knowledgeable, up to date with information and I was bringing, again, you know, some platforms that's currently being used in this particular side of health administration to work. So just the knowledge that I've gained from going to school and applying that directly to my current role was an advantage, you know, because everybody in my team again have their degrees already and me pursuing this actually inspired a lot of people. Them knowing me and what was going on in my life, but also achieving this was inspiring to them.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Now I want to look forward for a second, to have both of you look into the future. So over the next one to two years, what are you hoping to accomplish? What does that look like, anna? We'll start with you.
Speaker 2:I am definitely shooting for the stars. So, leaving, to be honest, the commencement, the graduation in Orlando, I was in awe hearing similar professionals like us, people our age or even older dual master degrees, you know. So I plan to enroll in a master's degree or two in the very near future. So that to me, is what's in the near landscape of things when it comes to my education. So I'm definitely going to pursue a master's degree through WGU because I found success in it with my bachelor's degree. So that's not a thing, it's going to happen, it's.
Speaker 1:I love your conviction and good luck in all of your endeavors, and there's no doubt in my mind that you'll be successful. You've already proven that. How about for you, chris? What does the next one to two years look like for you professionally?
Speaker 3:So for the last 20 years I've been learning technology and the technical side of this job. Now I'm in management and that's not something I have a whole lot of experience in, so I think WGU's IT Management's is the perfect next step for me. So that'll be what I'm working on in the next one to two years.
Speaker 1:That's great. Okay, so you've told me professionally. Now I want to know personally Are you guys going on any more cruises, any fun plans with the kids? What do you've got there?
Speaker 2:Oh, we're not done celebrating and this is actually the reason why I haven't started the master's degree program yet is because we do have a very fun trip planned in May, so we'll be in Italy and in the surrounding countries for a month from May to. June Because Chris has the opportunity to visit his company that's based in Italy. So we are going there for a month and enjoying the time that we have without the schooling. For me, before I start that in hopefully July, that's fantastic.
Speaker 1:Are you taking the whole family?
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely, they come with us.
Speaker 1:Like they do this with our children.
Speaker 2:Our two young children will be in summer break from school, from their preschool. So they are coming with us, just like they were in this same journey through WGU and then celebrating it in Orlando. They're going to come through with every vacation. It's, we're a package, it's like four of us every time. The Decker family I love it Exactly, and you met them.
Speaker 1:I did. They're adorable and certainly growing, and I'm sure what an memorable experience for them to go spend a summer in Italy and the surrounding countries. That's awesome. That's super exciting. So well, anna and Chris, this has been so great to see you again, to catch up, to learn a little bit more of your backstory, and we appreciate you being willing to share that with our growing audience, to inspire and help others. As we conclude today's interview, I wanted to turn the microphone over to the both of you and provide you a space to provide any final words as we wrap the interview. So, anna, are we okay to start with you and then, chris, take us home? What final words or bits of wisdom would you like to share?
Speaker 2:Honestly, just go for it and use a really, really stable support system to accomplish this goal. Nothing is impossible. There's always some spare time that you could dedicate to achieving a goal, whether it's professional or academic. But what's crucial is having that strong support system. Whether that comes from a professional aspect or familial, with family or friends, or familial with family or friends, having a strong support system will really help you achieve this goal. Make sure that not only are you aware of the journey that you're about to have, but also your support system. The people around you know what you're about to go through, so that they, too, understand why your focus is on this goal and they can support you.
Speaker 2:That's exactly what happened between me and Chris is that he knew I was going to go through this journey, so he supported me in any way that he can through this journey. So he supported me in any way that he can, and I knew he was going through the journey, so I supported him with any way that I can. There's just a common understanding that we had to do this. We had to dedicate time for it, finances to it, and then we both achieved it together.
Speaker 1:Wow, well said, anna. Thank you, chris.
Speaker 3:I really do just want to hammer home the point that it's never too late. I'm 36 years old and have been in my career for 15 years and I was learning new stuff every day and gaining new skills every single day that was directly related to work. It was just really cool to be able to spend the nights learning new things and then in the morning waking up, taking them to work and really being able to see how that works in the real world and kind of getting that foot up. So I really really enjoyed my time at WGU and how I can hold that forward into my professional life.
Speaker 1:Well, all the best to the both of you, to your young family, and keep in touch with us. Please share your continued success as you go, and we just want to say thank you for your time today, sure.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, it's a pleasure.
Speaker 1:Thanks, guys. Thank you for listening to the WGU alumni podcast. To learn more about the WGU alumni community, visit wguedu backslash alumni. Special thanks to our alumni community, nearly 400,000 strong and growing.