Living on a farm in rural Kentucky with a young son posed a challenge to Laura Witten’s goal of returning to school to get her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. In addition to the cost of tuition, the cost and time associated with the commute to a nearby school made the dream nearly impossible. Yet both Laura and her husband Aaron believed that an MBA would help their growing business (www.GameStation.net) expand even more. Laura realized that if commuting all the way to campus was too costly and time-consuming, she could take her courses through an online program and work from home.

During her search for a program, Laura came across the Project Working Mom scholarship. She was selected from among thousands for the scholarship, and began a ten-month MBA program offered by American InterContinental University (AIU) Online. We spoke with Laura during her final class about her thoughts on the obstacles she faced and her advice to other women looking to obtain a degree.

WA: What obstacles, if any, did you face as you began your college education?

LW: I was lucky for my bachelor’s degree to have the support of scholarships and my parents, and didn’t have any major obstacles back then. For my master’s degree, I may have never started if I hadn’t won the Project Working Mom scholarship. We live in a small town without a local college. Online classes were really my only option due to having a small child at home and a business to run.

WA: What obstacles do you think women today face in acquiring a college education?

LW: Time and money. Most women have full or part-time jobs, whether they are married or not. Many of these also have husbands and children to care for, which takes time away from continuing their education. In addition, the price of an education has inflated more quickly than incomes nationwide, and it is simply not affordable for most people without taking on a huge amount of debt.

WA: How has attending college classes changed your family life or routine?

LW: It has been stressful, but not impossible, to juggle classes, work, and home life. I watch much less television, read fewer magazines, and spend less time hanging with friends. I have missed a few extended family events – but have not isolated myself. My husband has had to step up and take over the bedtime routine for our son a couple nights each week, and we’ve had to rely on grandparents to babysit most weekends in order for me to complete the necessary reading and assignments. Friends and family have been understanding, and know that it is only temporary but very worthwhile. I still go to work full-time and attend church every Sunday. I have continued to coordinate my local Mothers of Preschoolers group and am active in Lion’s Club International. You can do it all – you just can’t do it all at one time!

WA: What has been your best experience about attending an online university?

LW: The best thing about attending online is the time and money savings. Instead of a two-hour roundtrip plus gas, I am able to spend that time with Luke or studying.

WA: What are your professional and personal plans after you obtain your degree?

LW: I intend to grow the family business by implementing the business and marketing tools I have acquired the past ten months. I am currently the Marketing Director, and am planning on continuing a lifetime of learning more in this field, but not in a formalized way. Personally, I am going to have a big party to celebrate my degree, and then grow my first garden this summer. I plan on getting back into the hobbies I have missed this past year, and possibly expanding our family. I hope that the knowledge I have gained helps me take our business to the next level, growing nationally and possibly internationally in sales. This will allow us to hire more of the local unemployed workers, and to be a larger part of the solution for this country’s economic problems.

WA: What single inspirational message would you like to share with women who are striving to achieve their goals?

LW: You may not be able to have it all. You may feel like you can’t do it all – but you can. You just can’t do it all at once. Divide your time so you can focus on what is most important at that moment - and do it. The most important thing to remember for overachievers is that it is OK to ask for help.

WA: What else would you like to share with our readers?

LW: Ask for help before you think you are going to go crazy. Motherhood is the toughest job in the world because it is relentless and you love it! Because you love your kids, you feel guilty for leaving them, even for very worthwhile causes, such as work and school. Get over it! Once I was able to let go of the guilt, for not being able to be the “perfect” mom (who is it that keeps drilling perfection into our heads, anyway?), everything started to fall into place. By keeping the focus on God first, then family, then community, work and school, I have been able to make it through. Not easily, and not with a spotless home, but with my sanity and a happy little boy by my side.