Asia Blossom’s Story with ANU
Chicago native, Asia Blossom, joined American National University to propel her future to greater lengths to provide for her child. She joined our Paralegal associate degree program in hopes of finding a career that not only helps her provide for her family but also satiates her interest in criminal law. An avid learner and role model to her younger siblings, she strives to be an example for all the children in her life to look up to as an example to excel. Along with that, Asia has a passion for writing that has propelled her to not only do well in her Paralegal program, but to become the first ever Student Blogger at ANU.
The biggest draw to ANU for Asia was the fact that she could earn her degree from home. “I was really attracted to the idea of being able to get my degree from home,” she starts, “and actually get a degree. Most other schools were offering certificates and not the actual degree.” Once she knew she would earn an associate degree, she immediately enrolled with ANU. Asia is also able to work while attending ANU from the comfort of her home so that she doesn’t have to put her work or family life on pause to earn her education. She enjoys “the flexibility and being able to take night classes” so that it fits to her life schedule.
With her classes so far, Asia feels prepared to enter the workforce easily.
“Honestly, with the time that I already spent at ANU, I feel like I could start work tomorrow and get it done!”
She learns a lot from her professors because of their career experience in the Paralegal field. “They always tell us their stories and give us real life examples of what could happen. They just explain everything so great and it’s just easy to remember.” She then explains that the Canvas tool helps her as well because she’s able to return to her previous eBooks and assignments to build upon her education.
For her, two professors stand out amongst the rest from her classes. Ryan Sharp and Lisa Custer have helped Asia develop her skills for various reasons. With Ryan, “he really knows how to get the class engaged. He’s really great to get people to communicate and talk in class… a lot of people are active and share.” With Lisa, “with her class I got a lot of hands-on experience with the projects and assignments that we were assigned to do.” And even though Asia attends classes via Zoom and through her computer, she is still heavily involved with her professors and fellow classmates.
“Being able to be part of a class without having to physically be there is important to me. With ANU, I am still able to socialize with people and stay in touch with people outside of my house.”
Her future goals include becoming a criminal legal investigator as the field interests her. She wants to work with a big law firm to do this kind of work. She also sees herself continually earning her education as she grows in the Paralegal field, whether that be another degree or certifications. “My bachelor’s degree is just around the corner from my associate degree,” she explains, “so I’d like to see where my career takes me.”
Does Asia recommend ANU to other students looking to earn their degree? “Absolutely, 100%. I wouldn’t say anything else besides how great [ANU] is. It’s all from home and there is nothing more that I would ask for from ANU!”
Her advice to new students that join American National University: “Familiarize yourself with the policies for your program… there’s no talking your way out of it. Once you mess up, you have to fix it!”
