Mom Completes Online Master’s Degree. Then She Journeys More Than 1500 Miles to Walk on Stage and Get Her Diploma

A Las Vegas mom took an uncommon route to earn her diploma — and made sure to cross the finish line in person.

Katelyn Wittman completed her coursework online through Arkansas State to earn a master’s degree in mass media management. With a newborn at home and a full-time job, she chose the remote option to make the program fit her life.

“When we were searching, I was talking to the recruiter and he told me about the benefits and how the program works and I was like, ‘I can do this,’” Wittman told KCRG News. “And I did it in a year.”

Wittman said it mattered to her to have her son and her parents with her as she celebrated the milestone. The ceremony also gave her the chance to visit campus for the first time and finally meet some classmates face-to-face.

“I haven’t had my in-person community, but my online community has been awesome,” she told the outlet. “Seeing the campus and seeing everything makes me proud that I chose this school in the first place.”

“It validates, like you picked a really good school, very good town, very good people, and it’s awesome,” added Wittman, who graduated on Dec. 13.

She also told Arkansas State that showing up for commencement was about recognizing everything it took to get there.

“Attending the ceremony felt important because this degree represents such a significant chapter of my life,” she said. “I worked through late nights, busy school days and the transition into becoming a new mom, and walking in person feels like the perfect way to celebrate all that dedication.”

“This degree marks a major moment of growth, dedication and fulfillment. Attending the ceremony is symbolic; it’s the physical acknowledgement of years spent developing my skills, supporting students and building a broadcast program I’m proud of,” she continued. “It means even more knowing that my lifelong love of media has now evolved into something bigger: a career path with purpose, clarity and momentum.”

Wittman currently teaches high school broadcasting and video production, and she hopes to move into college-level teaching in the near future.