Published July 16, 2014
Robin Chapman Cox, a native of Rocky Branch, put her education on hold to become a
wife and mother in 1991. When she decided to again pursue her dream of a college degree,
she took the non-traditional route through the University of Louisiana at Monroe’s
online platform, eULM.
She chose to return to school in 2008 via eULM because it was a convenient way to
earn a degree while still working full time and taking care of her family.
Now, after graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare management,
Cox serves as the administrator for Serenity Care Providers of West Monroe.
“[Serenity Care Providers] helps seniors remain safely in the comfort of their home,”
said Cox. “The research I did as a student definitely helped me understand and find
answers to the problems that senior [citizens] may face. I also have a great understanding
of building relationships with not only my clients, but my employees as well. All
of my courses really helped prepare me for this venture; insurance, finance, accounting,
health studies, sociology, all of them!”
Cox eventually took a class on the ULM campus during her tenure. She reflected on
the great memories.
She said, “I had to take one class on campus—finance. I loved it when the professor
went down the roll calling all the students by their first name. However, when he
got to me I was Mrs. Cox. That is how I was addressed throughout the semester, Mrs.
Cox. I got the biggest laugh out of that.”
Robin also made sure to take advantage of being close to campus both physically and
electronically. She knew that her professors were easily accessible and she took advantage
of their assistance.
The relationships with professors became very important to her during her journey.
“Dr. [Paula] Griswold kept me moving in the right direction,” she said. “She was such
an encourager, and Dr. [Jessica] Dolecheck challenged me and really made me do a thorough
self-examination.”
Although Robin excelled in her major courses, she put in extra effort in her finance
course. She credits ULM’s Dr. Arturo Rodriguez with helping her attain the business
knowledge she needs for a successful career.
She said of Rodriguez, “Bless his heart. He helped me so much with Finance 3001. I
always had questions in class, after class, through email—he probably thought I would
never grasp the concept, but it (finance) finally sunk in and I graduated! I had great
professors all along the way. They were so good about answering questions and getting
me to the ‘right’ thought processes.”
Ultimately, Cox knows the time and dedication needed for one to pursue a degree when
life has other plans. Her advice to those seeking an online degree is to not look
at it as the easy solution.
“Don’t put the hard courses off,” she said. “This makes life so much more stressful
when you are a semester away from graduation. Online courses are not the ‘easy’ way
to an education. You have to be dedicated and disciplined. It wasn’t easy by any means,
but it was definitely worth it.”
In the end, Robin said that her education at ULM was life-changing. When asked to
describe ULM in three words, she said, “Innovating, Transforming, and Enlightening.”
To learn more about online degrees at ULM, visit eULM, or call 318-342-3347.
