Robert Fiedler’s Experience with American National University
After graduating high school in 2003, Robert Fiedler took a different path than many traditional college students. Rather than immediately pursuing higher education, he built a successful career in website design and development before discovering a passion that would ultimately shape the next chapter of his life: constitutional law. What began as a personal interest evolved into nearly a decade of work in legal research and analysis, including roles with legal and political think tanks. As he looked toward advancing his career and pursuing new opportunities within the legal field, he realized he needed the academic credentials to match his experience. At 40 years old, Robert enrolled in American National University’s Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies program to turn his passion into a profession. His dedication to his studies and career goals earned him recognition as a Term Trailblazer for Term 258.
When searching for a school, American National University stood out for a very specific reason:
“I was looking for a school where I could take what had been, for me, really sort of a personal hobby and a personal passion and get an academic background behind that as well,” he explained.
The university’s ABA-approval was a major factor in his decision. “What I love about [American National University] is because you guys do the online program, and you have the ABA [approval] which is totally awesome, and I love.”
Although he entered the program with years of professional experience, Robert found that the university exceeded his expectations. “I have been just so impressed with the quality of the teachers that I have had here,” he shared. He credits much of his success to the support he has received from faculty members, particularly Professor Sheri Clark and Dean Wendy Notz. “Professor Sheri Clark has been so amazing and so supportive of me. It’s great because I know that she shares my interest and my passion in constitutional law, and it’s been so great to have her,” he said. “Dean Wendy Notz has been very supportive of me as far as not only my education here, but encouraging me to continue my education elsewhere, encouraging me to maybe go on to get another degree, maybe go to law school. So they’ve both been just absolutely fantastic.”
One aspect of the online learning experience that surprised him was how connected it felt. Through faculty encouragement, students formed class discussion groups outside of the classroom environment, helping create meaningful connections with their peers. “I’m always surprised how much I am sort of meeting and becoming friends with classmates who are working in the medical field, or they’re working in finance, or they’re working in business,” he said. “It’s really amazing how varied the backgrounds of the students here are.” These connections were built because of Dean Notz encouragement for the Paralegal students to create chat groups to connect. “And that has been really amazing for me as well, because that’s really a way for me to connect with the other students in my class on a one-on-one basis, almost in the way you would in a real-world face-to-face class.”
Robert has already seen the impact of his education on his professional work. Courses in legal research and writing have strengthened his understanding of Bluebook citation, APA formatting, and the academic rigor required in the legal profession. “I think the big thing is academic rigor,” he began. “In my work in the past, I have tried to be very inclusive of blue book citations, but I never really had a formal education in how to do that. First, through legal research and writing, which I took with Dean Notz, which gave a very, very comprehensive understanding of how to do Blue Book citations, but also through formatting and including that has been really important for me.
“It’s really improved the professional tenor of my work when I put it out now.”
His ultimate goal is to work for a public-interest law firm focused on constitutional rights, such as the Institute for Justice. After previously being turned down for opportunities because he lacked formal academic credentials, he believes his education at American National University is helping position him for the future he envisions. “I’m really hoping that by getting this degree, by getting the ABA [approval], and other things too, like the LexisNexis certification, it’s really going to set me up for that next step that I really want to take.”
Would he recommend American National University to others? Absolutely. “The price is so exceptionally reasonable,” he said. “The remote learning program you have for the paralegal program is just fantastic for anyone who wants to get into legal studies in general.” He also emphasized the importance of the program’s ABA approval, noting, “That means so, so, so much in this field.” When asked to summarize his experience at the university, Robert didn’t hesitate. “It’s been fantastic,” he said. “I can’t say enough great things about the professors. They have absolutely been amazing.”
