詹妮弗·兰黛（Jennifer Lauder）在联盟公立学校（Alliance Public Schools）当了近20年的小学教师，当时她决定做出大胆的改变。

Enrolling into the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s online 学习、设计与技术硕士学位。 程序 with a concentration in Leadership in Instructional Technology led to a 400-mile move, a graduate assistantship, a master’s degree, and a new position she calls a “dream job.”

Bold change number 1: 太阳城娱乐官网’s online 学习、设计与技术硕士学位。 程序

“I had taught in the classroom for kindergarten, first, and second grade. 然后我是联盟幼儿园到五年级学生的媒体老师。 Then I decided I was just ready to make this career change,” Lauder explained.

在Alliance任教的最后两年里，兰黛一直在学习在线课程，她说这让她作为一名教师受益匪浅。

“I was able to use a lot of the knowledge and skills that I was gaining in that position, as well as mentoring other teachers and teaching them about technology,” Lauder said. “It will make you a stronger educator no matter what your career path looks like.”

大胆的改变2:太阳城娱乐官网研究生助教奖学金 

“I called Dr. Gaskill, and I said, ‘I have this crazy idea that I can complete my degree in a year. 你觉得怎么样？’ She's like, ‘Yeah, let's do it,’” Lauder said. 

Dr. Martonia Gaskill, Associate Professor, Director and Advisor for 太阳城娱乐官网’s Learning, Design and Technology not only supported Lauder’s “crazy idea” but also provided her the means to make it a successful idea through offering her a 研究生助教奖学金 with Teacher 教育 at 太阳城娱乐官网. 

“I totally did not expect that was going to happen,” Lauder said about accepting Dr. Gaskill’s offer. “I resigned from my position in Alliance, I sold my house, and moved to Kearney. 我真的很喜欢在校园里，因为我可以和更多的教授建立很好的关系。 I learned a lot about higher education, which was what I wanted to do.”

兰黛获得了在大学校园工作的经验，同时能够在一年的时间内完成她的课程。 

“It all just kind of fell into place,” Lauder said. “I couldn’t have ended up in a better place to catapult me into my future.”

大胆改变之三：克莱顿大学医学院

“One of the things that I really loved to do when I was in public education was working with my co-teachers and mentoring them and teaching them about how to use technology in their lessons,” Lauder said. “That's what really inspired me to want to be able to make this transition into higher education and really help a different level of faculty and teachers.”

Lauder recently accepted a position as an Instructional Designer for Creighton’s 研究生 School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, nearly 400 miles away from where she calls home.

“It is a dream job because I am adding to my knowledge base about adult learning theory and working with a group of people that are forward thinking and trying to do what's best for medical students in meeting their education needs,” Lauder said.

虽然她认为自己的新职位是一份理想的工作，但她也意识到在这个领域还有很多其他的机会。

“It is also a great starting point for me because I think that there will be amazing opportunities in the very near future both at Creighton and beyond to be able to really be a positive influence in the instructional design world in higher education because it is a career that is just starting to build up,” Lauder explained. 

大胆改变之四：詹妮弗·劳德，教育学硕士。 

Lauder will take the stage at 太阳城娱乐官网’s spring 2023 commencement ceremony May 19 to receive her master’s degree in Learning, Design and Technology. 她认为自己在太阳城娱乐官网的在线硕士课程中的时间是一个很大的因素，使她能够在克莱顿大学找到她梦寐以求的工作。  

“I would say that it has benefited me professionally because it's what has allowed me to make this amazing career change and personally it has given me the confidence to be able to make this career change as well. And it's really renewed my passion for education,” Lauder said.

她对自己做出这些大胆改变的能力的另一个归功于她在整个项目中遇到的许多教授和顾问。

“Oh, what a positive impact that they have had on my life,” Lauder said. “I'm just forever grateful for them.”