6 Finding Community as an Arizona Online Student

My second semester of college, in the summer of 2020, I found myself unhoused and couch surfing. Only a few months earlier, I worked at Disneyland and started the Disney Aspire program, a tuition assistance program that allowed me to attend a small, fully online university at no cost. A week after school started, COVID-19 hit California and Disneyland was closed. I had lost my income. By May, I ran out of savings to pay rent and had nowhere to live. Since Disney was still sponsoring my tuition, I persisted with my classes but did not feel comfortable explaining my situation to my professors, since I didn’t know them well. By fall I was laid off and subsequently lost my tuition funding. Knowing I wanted to continue my education, I secured a job as a live-in nanny to support myself and my school costs. Since I felt disconnected from my online university, I decided to transfer to the University of Arizona’s Arizona Online program. I was allured by the UA’s reputation of school spirit, community-feel, and scientific contributions — all things I felt were missing in my college experience.

In my first semester at UA, I was surprised that professors expected more than passive participation in online discussion boards. Whereas participation was not a focus at my previous institution, UA instructors requested that we record video responses to prompts, complete group projects, and attend virtual class meetings. These professors expected me to actually collaborate with my classmates. These new expectations took some getting used to, but I began to enjoy regular dialogue with my peers. I counted on key classmates who consistently engaged in online discussion. I also felt supported when professors offered detailed, constructive feedback on my assignments. I made an effort to get to know these professors over email by asking them questions about their careers and expertise. In these conversations, I expressed my learning interests to my professors and they helped me find related opportunities. For example, one professor encouraged me to submit my research paper to an undergraduate research journal while another encouraged me to apply for an internship. These conversations expanded my sense of having a college community.

After finding this community in the online classroom, I sought more ways to get involved. I joined a University-run Facebook group for Arizona Online and Near You Network students. There, I learned that online students can join clubs and other student organizations — just as on-campus students do. The Associated Students of the University of Arizona-Near You (hereafter, “ASUA-NY”) is a student government organization for online and Near You Network students who use the page to ask for student input on University-wide issues. I wanted to advocate for more opportunities for other post-traditional students to get involved, so I joined ASUA-NY as the Administrative Vice President. My role provided me with opportunities such as serving as a student representative on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee and visiting the UA campus in Tucson. Those I met on the ASUA-NY board became my mentors and friends and expanded my UA community.

After meeting so many students across all majors, I wanted to find more connections within my major: psychology. I joined Psi Chi, a national honor society for psychology students, which accommodated online members through hybrid events. While this allowed me to view the event, the format didn’t allow online students to participate. The club had never had an online student as an executive board member, but I applied to be the Director of Communications to improve the accessibility for students like me. During my interview, I detailed ways to support community-building for post-traditional students and insisted that I could be as involved from afar as I could be on campus. For one year I served as the Director of Communications before becoming the club’s President. I hope to model for other post-traditional students that they too can hold the same positions as on-campus students: we are equally part of the UA community.

To gain more major-specific experience and community, I became an undergraduate research assistant for an on-campus research lab. I learned through coursework that I wanted to apply to a research-based graduate program — so I needed lab experience. While the lab had never before hired an online student, the lab supervisors adapted lab systems to be accessible from home. I developed camaraderie with the other research assistants as we conversed each week in virtual lab meetings about our academic experiences. We supported the lab’s research by coding data, recruiting participants, and performing data analysis. In this way, I helped to create new knowledge in my field.

At the beginning of my senior year, it was time to apply to graduate school. Initially, I felt overwhelmed and confused by the process. But because I had spent my years in college establishing relationships with my instructors and peers, I was able to ask them for guidance. My lab supervisors helped demystify the process and offered advice about interviewing and writing personal statements. The faculty advisor of Psi Chi helped identify ideal graduate programs for me. The professors with whom I had developed rapport and from whom I had learned so much graciously wrote my letters of recommendation — one of the many important reasons to establish professional relationships with instructors! Without this support from the community I had worked hard to build, I’m not sure I would have been as successful in the application process.

Now, I am preparing to graduate from UA and have accepted an offer to graduate school. When I began my undergraduate journey, I mourned the “normal” on-campus college experience I thought I was supposed to have. Reflecting on my undergraduate career, I am so grateful I was able to have many of the same experiences as on-campus students — access to education and student organizations, connection with instructors, friendships with my peers — all while working full-time to support myself. I found a place for me at UA, even if it looked a little different than I had first imagined.

About the author

name: Madison LaMonica

Hi! I’m Madzy (she/her) and I am an Early Childhood Education and Psychology dual degree student with the online campus. Aside from getting to know students with ASUA-NY I also serve as the Psi Chi president, a math preceptor, and a remote research assistant in the University Child Cognition lab. Outside of school, I work as a performer and lead at The Disneyland Resort in the character department! In my free time I enjoy bullet journaling and going to ballet and gymnastics classes. As a member of student government, I love getting to know students’ backgrounds, as many are transfer or post-traditional students. This information allows me to better represent our Arizona Online and Near You Network students!