Tilton, who lives in Lander, Wyo., landed a job teaching English at Central Wyoming College but needed to enroll in a master’s of English program in order to become full time.
“I have a master’s degree in education from Minnesota State University,” says Tilton, who is originally from South Carolina. “The UW Outreach School gave me the opportunity to not only get the master’s in English degree, but because I was enrolled, I was able to move up to a full-time position here. I’m scheduled to graduate May 2014.
“The master’s cohort meets one night a week via compressed video,” he explains. “I’ve taken online classes before, and they’re difficult for me because I like the exchange between people. Through compressed video you can have those exchanges. It’s almost like being in the classroom together.
“I think that the main reason that the outreach program worked for me is that it allowed me to keep working. I have a family and bills to pay. Through outreach I could do both—work on the master’s degree and hold down a job.
“I think that in most educational experiences, the value of those experiences arises from the relationship between the teacher and the student. The English department at UW has excellent professors. They’ve made this entire experience not only fascinating but fun.”
>> Gary Wilder
