After dedicating 14 years as a full-time caregiver to her three special needs children, Vernee Thompson made the decision to return to school and pursue a Paralegal associate degree at American National University. Married for 16 years and supported by a strong network of family—including her husband, children, mother, siblings, and extended relatives—she approached her education with determination and purpose. Building on her previous bachelor’s degree, she chose to expand her skill set through ANU’s Paralegal program, demonstrating that it is never too late to pursue new professional goals. Her journey reflects resilience, commitment, and the impact of a strong support system in achieving academic and career success.

Her decision to pursue a career in the paralegal field was driven by both practicality and personal interest. After initially planning to earn a second bachelor’s degree, she discovered that her intended program had been dissolved, prompting her to explore alternative educational paths. With a long-standing interest in law, she began researching various legal services careers and identified the paralegal profession as a strong fit. She reviewed programs approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) to ensure quality and credibility. “And since I wasn’t able to attend in person because of children’s disabilities, I decided to see if there were any online schools that the American Bar Association approved of,” she explained. “One of them was American National University, so I reached out to them, they reached back out to me, and that’s how I got enrolled!”

Vernee also highlighted how ANU’s paralegal program expanded her understanding of the paralegal role, as well as prepared her for the realities of the workforce. She explained, “I feel like I – it was a really great course in legal services and legal theory, something I didn’t really think about. Because I’m thinking, ‘oh I’m just a paralegal, I’m just gonna be handling paperwork.’ Well, it’s more than that. You’re also interviewing clients, you’re handling confidential information, you communicating with the courts, you’re communicating with attorneys.” Additionally, learning from career-experienced professors deepened her understanding. “It prepares you for the life of working in a law office – and it helps that your professors are also lawyers, or former paralegals, or current paralegals! So they understood what needs to be done in a law office through our assignments and discussions to help us become paralegals.”

She also pointed to the hands-on tools incorporated into the program as a key part of her preparation, particularly the use of industry-standard legal research platforms like LexisNexis®, which she had access to within her courses. Reflecting on this experience, she shared: “Lexis+ is basically a subscription for legal aid – it helps you look up cases, it helps you research how the cases were decided, how it was treated – was it treated negatively and favorably by the courts – and it gives you the background information on the cases. Also you can use it look up cases – previous cases, supreme court cases, cases in your state, federal as well as state administrative laws, and different things like that. So it was a great, helpful tool… for legal students to use because if you go to your law firm.”

“[ANU] prepares you for life outside of school. It’s not just a bunch of theories, but its real world applications mixed with clinical evaluations when you’re doing your assignments and doing your discussions.”

Throughout her time in the program, she found consistent encouragement and guidance from her instructors, including the Paralegal program dean Wendy Notz, as well as professors teaching her law and business like Traci Dingle, Dr. Lyndsey Obringer, Sheri Clark, and Lisa Custer. Reflecting on their impact, she shared, “All of the professors at ANU have been phenomenal for me. I could reach out to them, they were available for me, to answer questions timely. No question was off limits, everything was clearly explained, and if I had trouble with something, they were very detailed and they were very open and honest with me. All of them were very inspirational for me. So there is not a single one that I could say – they all inspired me, every last one of my professors did.”

Vernee’s future goals are to continue to be a solid figure for her children. Since graduating from ANU, she wants to work within the realm of family law as it was something she focused on in her previous career of social services. However, she takes things day by day. “I take it as it comes, and I just try to live each day to the fullest – because tomorrow is not promised to anybody!”

Would she recommend to ANU to other students looking to earn their higher education? “Yes, I would! I like the ease of the program. It’s still intensive because [a term] is ten weeks. But you learn so much in those ten weeks… You learn synchronously and you learn asynchronously as well,” she explained. “You know I also would recommend it because there’s the flexibility. If you work days, they have night classes – if you work nights, they have day classes. And the professors are very accommodating! I’ve met cohorts in my classes who have full time jobs and are [sic] full-time parents and they still were able to do their work, they were still able to attend their classes.”

“I think no matter where I go in law, I feel like I am prepared more than I would have been if I had not gone to ANU.”

Vernee’s advice to new students: “I would suggest that they do their work – not try to do everything at one time but try to space it out. Know your deadlines. Just time manage. If you have trouble, go to the professors, they’re very accommodating.”

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The reapproval by the ABA’s House of Delegates, acting on the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Paralegals, reflects the programs’ continued adherence to rigorous national standards in curriculum, instruction, and faculty quality. This milestone ensures that students completing the paralegal program will continue to graduate from a program recognized for meeting the highest professional benchmarks in paralegal education.

“Achieving ABA reapproval is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff, as well as the high-quality experience we provide our students,” says American National University president, Dr. Frank Longaker. “This recognition provides our graduates with a competitive edge as they begin or advance their careers in the legal field.”

The ABA approval makes American National University’s Paralegal programs part of a select group of programs nationwide that meet standards designed to prepare students for success as trained paralegals. Graduates of the program are equipped with practical skills in legal research, ethical practice, and substantive law, enabling them to support attorneys and legal teams effectively across a wide range of settings.

“I am incredibly proud to celebrate the Paralegal Programs’ ABA approval.  This is a milestone that reflects the hard work, commitment, and excellence of our Paralegal Program community,” says Paralegal programs dean, Wendy Notz. “This achievement does not happen by chance. It happens because of people who believe in the mission of this university, who invest their time, passion, and expertise into building programs that change lives. ABA approval is more than recognition—it’s a promise to uphold the highest standards for our students and the profession.”

American National University’s paralegal programs integrate theoretical foundations with real-world applications, preparing students for roles in the legal field. The program’s online and flexible format allows working adults and busy learners to balance education with professional and personal commitments. Our students are trained by professionals that have real-world experience and knowledge about the career. For more information about either paralegal program, or how to apply, visit www.virginia.an.edu.

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Defining Legal Assistant and Paralegal

1. Legal Assistant: According to Thomas Reuters Legal Solutions: “A legal assistant is a professional who provides administrative and clerical support to lawyers and other legal professionals.” Their duties may include scheduling meetings, preparing legal documents, answering phones, and organizing case files. While they may assist with legal work, their primary role is often administrative.
2. Paralegal: According to the American Bar Association: “A paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.” Paralegals are more involved in substantive legal work. They may draft legal documents, conduct legal research, and assist in case preparation. Their responsibilities often require a deeper understanding of the law, and many paralegals have specialized education or certification.

Key Differences Between Paralegals and Legal Assistants

While the roles are distinct, there are some overlaps. For example, both legal assistants and paralegals may help organize legal files, draft documents, and assist lawyers in preparing cases. The key differences, however, are:

• Educational Requirements – Paralegals typically undergo more formalized education than legal assistants. They often hold an associate degree or a certificate in paralegal studies. Some pursue professional certifications like the Certified Paralegal (CP) designation from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) or the Registered Paralegal (RP) from the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA)​. In contrast, legal assistants may complete certificate or diploma programs, they typically are not required to have formal education beyond a high school diploma, learning on the job or transferring from other administrative roles.
• Type of Work – Legal assistants focus more on administrative tasks. Their responsibilities often involve clerical duties, like maintaining files, managing schedules, answering phones, and drafting basic documents. They help lawyers with office management and ensure smooth operations but generally do not work directly on legal casework. However, Paralegals will perform more specialized legal tasks. They assist lawyers by conducting research, drafting legal documents, interviewing witnesses, and preparing materials for court cases. What is common for both, though, is that neither can give legal advice or represent clients for any legal matter.
• Career Growth – Paralegals often have more opportunities for career growth, especially in large firms or specialized areas of law, thanks to their legal expertise. They may advance into senior paralegal roles or specialize in areas such as corporate law, family law, or litigation. With their education, many paralegals also advance their degrees. Legal assistants, while valuable in law firms, typically do not have the same kind of range within the legal field, as their roles are more administrative.

Clearing Up the Confusion

To answer the question posed before – is a legal assistant the same as a paralegal? – it can be answered with a no. While it’s common for people to use the terms “legal assistant” and “paralegal” interchangeably, they are distinct roles with different responsibilities, education requirements, and career opportunities. Understanding these differences is important for individuals exploring a legal career and for law firms looking to build an effective team. Those who are detail-oriented and enjoy administrative work may find fulfillment as legal assistants. Meanwhile, those who wish to be more involved in legal research and casework may pursue a career as a paralegal, which offers greater opportunities for specialization and advancement​. Both roles are incredibly vital to a law firm, but their contributions to their workplace differ. To learn more about how you can become a paralegal, go to an.edu.

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Pikeville, Kentucky native, Bobby Moore, wanted a change in his career after spending nearly twenty-five years as an EMT. Knowing about American National University because of our campus in Pikeville, Bobby went browsing through our programs. He decided to take a few online courses in our Paralegal associate degree program and decided to jump in fully after meeting some of the professors, including Dean Wendy Notz. With his dedication to his studies, Bobby has earned the title of Term Trailblazer for term 244, nominated by Linda Bernhardt!

After spending decades in the healthcare field, Bobby knew he wanted to change careers. He wanted to pursue something different, and that’s where ANU’s Paralegal program gave him the opportunity to find that change. “I applied, I did all of my stuff online and within no time, I’ve got a call from somebody, and they actually set up a meeting – a phone interview with Dean Notz,” he explains about his process entering ANU, “we went over my background, why I wanted to take the course. She does a pretty good little lecture with you about how important it is.” And from his acceptance and joining his classes, he says that “everything was just falling into place.” In the entire process, he found he had no problems transitioning into the program. “I’ve never had any issues with financial aid or any of those kind of parts with ANU… it was just a smooth transition going into my first couple of classes.”

Bobby enjoys attending ANU because of the flexibility it gives him within his life and responsibilities.

“It was just easy and for me not being a traditional student, it was just so much easier for me to get used to the way that we did our assignments, the way that we had our Zoom classes. I was still able to be a dad and do everything else that I needed to do. But I could also take all my classes,” he explains.

He explains that as a parent, he gets pulled in so many directions that the ability to attend classes online has been a game changer for him earning his education while being there for his family. “It’s laid back, but it’s also structured. I’m not having to wake up and go into a classroom every day… honestly I feel like more people who work jobs and who have family life – if they understood how it worked, I think more people would be interested in taking online classes.”

He explains in his classes that having professors who truly understand the material has been a game changer for his learning experience. In one of his more recent terms, he studied intellectual properties, and he described the class was very intense and one of the more difficult classes he’s had. However, his professor, Cristi Conrick, made it easy for him to comprehend and complete his classes.

“Where she worked in that field already, it was just so easy to understand. Had we not have had somebody that had that real life experience, it would have been a lot more difficult. But that was one of my favorite classes that I’ve taken so far.”

Every professor that Bobby has had in his educational journey has been a lifeline for him, a person to add to his network, and has given him the knowledge he needs to reach his goals. “All the professors that I’ve had so far, like the last class or they’ll send out an email and just be like, ‘this is my phone number. Once you’re my student, you’re always my student. If you have anything, if you need any help with anything, just message to me’.” And not only that, but he is also meeting students from across the nation to bond with and to develop a professional network.

Bobby’s future goals include going to school to earn his bachelor’s degree in legal studies. Additionally, he has found that he one day wants to teach these legal studies to other students. “I’d actually talked to Dean Notz about what the steps would be for me to possibly come back and teach some classes with the program. Because I feel like ANU has been great for me and I know there’s other people out there that would be great fit for classes like that.”

Would he recommend ANU to others?

“Absolutely. I would tell [students about] the paralegal program I love, but also [I have] some really good friends that have went through the nursing program. And the ANU campus here in Pikeville is phenomenal for the nurses that they’re putting out there in the field. All around, ANU is a great place to go, and I would advise anybody if they’re looking for it to at least give it a chance.”

His advice to new students is to don’t forget the small stuff. “It is the simple things. You’ve got your discussion posts, and you’ve got your responses that you have to respond back to somebody. Those are simple points – you answer a question and then you respond back to somebody and it’s simple. But if you don’t do that initial work at the end of the term, it’s gonna catch up with you.” He explains that students should take the time to make sure they have all assignments in, no matter how small. He also emphasizes, “if you’re in the paralegal program, cite your sources!”

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The reason Angela chose ANU over other Paralegal programs was the flexibility we offered her. Our class schedules were available from morning until night. Her work schedule changes frequently, so she needed something that could accommodate her time. “At ANU, I first registered as a night student, but luckily they’ve been very helpful and flexible and able, especially for this term, to move my classes to the morning,” she explains.

“They were a lot more helpful than most [other institutions] and just understanding that most people have jobs to get them through this program.”

In her classes, Angela is learning topics that make her a more well-rounded paralegal. She’ll often take concepts she learned in class to her mother who works in criminal cases. Sometimes, her mother won’t have the answers. And ANU is teaching her the knowledge she needs to be a confident worker. “This program has definitely helped because I can’t just assume my mom’s going to know the answer… [I] have to figure it out,” she says. “The discovery class [I took] I thought was really helpful because it was very hands-on… You have to go out and find out what documents you need and then put it together yourself. It was a challenge… but I think it was beneficial because now I have an idea of how to go about it and do it myself without bothering the attorney.”

From her very first interactions with ANU, Angela says everyone has been helpful and kind. “My last week of the term, I had to go on a work trip, and I had all my finals to take. All of my teachers were really helpful, and they were like: ‘we’ll open them a couple days early for you, you’ll get them done!’” She describes. She explains that other institutions she spoke to were rigid in their schedules and gave no room to budge or help her.

“ANU has been very helpful, and the teachers have been very great, they respond very quickly, even on the admissions side.”

Angela calls out Dean Wendy Notz and Professor Sheri Clark as two that have helped her learn not only a lot of information, but they make it fun and interesting.

Her future goals include wanting to continue her work as a fitness instructor while also working as a paralegal. She wants to be on the 18b Panel in the city and also help her mother with her cases in her paralegal work. “Just keep learning, maybe I’ll take on another program! I learned that I miss being in school,” she says.

Would she recommend ANU to others? “I definitely would any program because of how helpful and flexible [ANU] is!”

Her advice to new students: “Get ahead of your work… don’t leave it to the last second!”

The post Flexibility in the Field of Law: Angela’s Story with ANU appeared first on American National University.

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!”

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Miranda Langford’s Time at ANU

Hard work and dedication are not foreign subjects for Paralegal student, Miranda Langford. After medically retiring from the Army, Miranda became a stay-at-home mother. However, when some legal issues arose within her family, she got a close view of the legal field. Now that her two children are close to flying from the nest, Miranda wanted to pursue her new interest in the legal field. And rather than having to wait several years to gain experience to get where she wanted, Miranda turned to American National University’s online, ABA-approved Paralegal associate degree program. Her commitment to her studies led her to becoming Term 233’s Paralegal Student of the Term!

When choosing where to go for her education, Miranda found ANU through the Department of Veteran Affairs. Between ANU and one other school, she felt that our program was a better fit for her life and goals. And as a veteran, Miranda was able to use her GI Bill benefits to finance her education at ANU. Describing using those benefits, she said, “it was an easy process. It’s just [ANU] and the VA talking back and forth is what it boils down to basically.” She was able to apply with the VA, and ANU took care of the rest. And while she started at ANU later in 2022, she had to withdraw from the program. However, getting back into her education at the beginning of 2023 was easy for her. “They made it easy,” she said, “they were understanding.” Her short time at ANU so far has shown her that our staff and faculty are there to help her earn her education.

Her paralegal courses are preparing her to enter the legal field. “The resources we get through Lexus have been hugely helpful! Because I know that’s what I’ll be working with!” Not only are the materials and courses beneficial to her education, but her professors are helping her develop as a paralegal as well.

“A good many of my teachers are like, ‘this is a real world scenario, this is what happened, this is what you need to do, and this is how it should play out.’ So, seeing that in the real-world, at least a portion of it, has been real helpful.”

Her Paralegal Student of the Term nomination came from both Paralegal Dean Wendy Notz and Paralegal Instructor Sheri Clark. And Miranda has enjoyed classes with both instructors and their approach to teaching her the ins-and-outs of being a paralegal. In a few classes with them, Miranda was one or one of two students enrolled. And that gave her personalized attention to help her succeed in not only her education, but her future career. “I really enjoyed it because it gave us a lot of one-on-one time. And [allowed them] to talk about their experiences and their outlook on things. I enjoyed both of them,” she said, “they both have really personalities and stories. They both have a high standard [for students] and that really helped me from becoming complacent.” Miranda describes an instance where she was struggling with a concept. She was able to email Wendy Notz back and forth until she understood – and Dean Notz answered with patience and kindness. On her email exchanges with Dean Notz, “I definitely gave her a run for her money on that term! But she’s great – all of my instructors have been.”

For her future goals, Miranda is adamant about earning her associate degree in Paralegal studies. She wants to work on continually earning certifications and going as high in the field as she can go. “Somebody asked me one day, ‘you going to law school?’ And I was like ‘maybe? I don’t know – we’ll cross that bridge way later!’” She really aspires to being beneficial to a legal team.

“I would obviously recommend someone [to ANU]!”

Her advice to new students: “Figure out what works best for you – figure out your home life schedule. That will be the biggest thing… Find what you like to do, something will eventually click.” With her advice, she describes that online education at ANU has changed how she approaches education as well.

“This is the first time I’ve really enjoyed college and the classes – that’s what I like about ANU, the program and the structure of it works really well. If you’re going from term to term, you know what to expect. It’s easy to use! It works great so far!”

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Dalyn Fountain’s Story with ANU

With experience in the field, Dalyn Fountain was struck with a choice. She either goes to school to become a Paralegal to solidify her career choice or move on to something different. Once she joined American National University’s Paralegal associate degree program, she knew she made the right decision. With law school in her future, a family to look after, and a career to uphold, our program allowed Dalyn the flexibility she needed to graduate in her desired field. And in 2022, Dalyn graduated with her associate degree and became a senior paralegal.

Dalyn found American National University by researching the top paralegal programs offered to her. She says, “I googled ‘top paralegal online programs’ and [ANU] was the first to come up.” Along with that, despite applying to other universities, it was only ANU that she felt “a warm welcome with the people I talked to at ANU – and I didn’t get that anywhere else.” It was also important to her to have an ABA-approved program like ours. “I knew I wanted to sit for the state bar certification, and they wouldn’t let me do so without that!”

The biggest pull for Dalyn to choose ANU was our class structures. The Zoom meetings for classes motivated her to push for her education. “I needed something to hold me accountable,” she says, “I enjoyed it. Even the two- or three-hour long courses, I enjoyed it.” And her decision to go to ANU was solidified with the ease and comfort that her student services counselors provided her. No matter what it was, “they were always super nice, easy to talk to. They were knowledgeable – I knew they knew what they were talking about. And I felt comfortable going into each course every term.”

When it comes to her experience at ANU, Dalyn felt supported throughout her educational journey and even after because of the faculty. She explains that her professors got to know who she was and connected with her on places like LinkedIn. “I had a few professors who took the time to talk to me about going to law school and what that would look like.” She never felt alone in her education, either.

“The professors were up to date with grading, that was great! Response time was always good – 24 hours, if that, that I would receive a response from professors… Talk to your professors, especially in the Paralegal program, they will go the extra mile to help you and foster your legal career.”

Along with that, she found our services to be user-friendly. She says, “I didn’t find that anywhere else – that Canvas was as user-friendly as it was. The interface is pretty and easy to use.” Her professors also recorded their Zoom sessions and uploaded them to Canvas. This helped her if she ever missed a course or if she needed to go back over those sessions for studying.

After graduating from ANU, Dalyn received a promotion to Senior Paralegal from her workplace for completing her Paralegal education. Along with that, she sat for the State Bar certification and passed, and also became a notary public. She’s begun her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and plans to sit for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) soon. In her day-to-day work, Dalyn describes it: “As a senior paralegal, I do all of our intakes, I do all of our discovery review. I meet with our clients if they have pleas, and if they want to go to trial, I do trial notebooks. I am also responsible for the federal case load we have so I meet with those clients… Anything you can think of [a Paralegal doing], I do. Even office management.”

With all of the work she does as a Paralegal, Dalyn feels that ANU prepared her for the new responsibilities she gained. Within her courses, she received a lot of real-world experiences and studied real cases to learn. For her personal injury course, she had to “open the case and close the case. That was the whole course. That was great! Because I really didn’t have interest in personal injury until then.” Dalyn explains that her education at ANU gave her more insight into the job she was already performing. “Before, it was just ‘do this because this is what you need to do,’ but now I know why I’m doing it.”

In her future, Dalyn hopes to finish law school and become an associate within the law firm that she is currently working in.

“I would whole-heartedly recommend ANU!” Says Dalyn. “It was the best experience I have had thus far!”

Her advice to new students:

“try everything. You don’t know what you don’t know. Just get a feel for everything. Don’t be afraid to make new connections, because you don’t know where those connections will take you. ANU definitely taught me that. I have somebody in just about every state on the east coast I can reach out to ‘hey I need a referral for an attorney.’”

The post Fostering Her Legal Career appeared first on American National University.

American National University has recently been re-approved for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I program. The WIOA program provides government funds for laid-off workers to enroll in approved programs for additional education that will give them greater opportunities. By helping them learn and develop new skills, we prepare unemployed workers for careers in the evolving global economy.

WIOA program approval extends to the following courses:

• Pharmacy Technician (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Paralegal (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Phlebotomy & ECG Diploma
• Network Support Associate’s
• Business Administration Associate’s
• Business Administration – Accounting (Diploma and Associate’s)
• Medical Coding & Billing Diploma
• Medical Assisting (Certificate and Associate’s)
• Health Information Management Associate’s
• Administrative Medical Assisting Associate’s

The application was approved by the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board (WVWDB) and Chief Local Elected Officials (CLEO) in Local Workforce Development Area 3 (LWDA3).

For more information on how you may qualify, call 833.388.1100, click, or Zoom an admissions representative today!

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Tonya Peak

Tonya’s experience teaching in the online educational environment spans over 21 years of continuous involvement. She is currently a general education instructor, teaching the online math courses, and has professional experience as a staff accountant in a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm. Initially an online education student herself, upon her graduation in 2005 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA), she decided to begin teaching them. Tonya enjoys teaching students who are seeking to achieve their education goals, regardless of previous educational experience.

Pamela Hooper

Pamela is an instructor in the information technology programs. Enjoying 19 successful years instructing and mentoring students, she strives to assist and encourage students in finding academic success. She is always engaging students in her classes by staying up to date with best practices in instructional design, information technology, and instruction.

Pamela graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory and later a Master of Information Technology from Virginia Tech. She hopes to begin doctoral studies in adult learning and higher education in the near future.

Wendy Notz

Teaching for 11 years and having over 25 years of legal experience, Wendy, the dean and department chair of the paralegal studies program, is the third and final recipient of this award. Known to go above and beyond for her students, she gives in-depth explanations to all student questions and even going so far as to pick up the phone during time off. She does all this and more to ensure their mastery of the course material. She earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology, paralegal certificate, and law degree (juris doctorate).

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