The COVID-19 pandemic changed what learning and working looked like for much of the population. For Haley Fischer, that was a good thing. 
A 鶹ýapp native, Fischer enrolled at her hometown University as a kinesiology major upon graduating from 鶹ýapp High School in 2019.
“I was a swimmer in high school, and I just always love the idea of learning more about the body and how the body works,” says Fischer.
After her first semester at UL 鶹ýapp, Fischer was considering different kinesiology concentrations when the pandemic forced courses remote or online. She found she preferred the flexibility of online courses.
Fischer talked with her advisor and learned that she could complete her B.S. in Kinesiology with a concentration in Health Promotion and Wellness completely online — pandemic or no pandemic.
Transitioning to a 100% online bachelor’s degree program was also ideal as Fischer prepared to become a new mom.
"That's what I loved most about it — I could still take care of my son whenever I needed to,” says Fischer. “On weekends and mornings before work and afternoons after work, I would get my schoolwork done. I really liked the fact that you can do your work whenever.”
Thinking back on how she managed so much change in so little time, Fischer says it’s a blur.
“I don’t really know how I did it,” she says.
But one certainty is that communicating with her online instructors was critical to successfully navigating life as a student and parent.
“I even remember we had finals, and I was like, ‘Do you mind if I take my final early? I'm about to give birth,’” says Fisher.
And while that might be her most extreme example, she says building those relationships was important throughout her time in the Health Promotion and Wellness program.
“I asked questions and really communicated with my professors; I think that's a big thing,” she says. "Students may be hesitant to reach out to their professors, but they're there to help you if you tell them what’s going on."
Upon graduating, Fischer accepted a fully remote role with a non-surgical orthopedic practice. Learning online, she says, prepared her to excel in a work-from-home position.
“That helped me have the self-motivation and dedication to stick to what I'm doing,” she says. "It's easy to get distracted, but I still have a goal to get things done. Doing that with the Health Promotion program really helped me because I take the same skills and the things that I learned from that to this."