For Lori Rattan, San Diego is a familiar place. Although she is originally from Colorado, she has spent many years in San Diego “My husband is in the Navyso we keep returning to San Diego,” she says.
One of the hardships for military spouses is that after a service member deploys, they not only take care of the family, but they also have to figure out how to develop their job skills. One of the educational options open to military spouses is through the Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA). It provides financial assistance for education and training for spouses of active duty and activated reserve components (Guard and Reserve) service members worldwide.
After learning about the online programs offered by SDSU, Rattan thought about pursuing a certificate in Learning Design & Technology. Once she realized she qualified for MyCAA benefits, she immediately signed up for the online program.
“I was really happy about the benefit because it ended up covering five classes. And the process was easy,” she said. “Jeanette Nevandro, the Cashier Supervisor at CES, helped immensely. Her knowledge of MyCAA ensured that my registration was completed correctly within the specified timeframe.”
There are many online and in-classroom program choices. With a family, a busy schedule, and the overriding truth that they will have to move during her study, Rattan decided on the online option. “I was really impressed with how SDSU set up their online courses. We met once a week online and interacted with the instructor and other students. The SDSU instructor and student online meetings worked really well.”
Going back to school recharged Rattan’s neglected web development skills. “After having a child, I spent all my time taking care of the family. I failed to keep my web development skills up-to-date. So when hoing back to school, my first step was to take the Introduction to Web Development class. It made me learn the new method of building websites and got me back into the swing of things.”
Regarding her entire SDSU experience, Rattan says, “I had a really good experience. I was lucky that I knew about SDSU’s online program and MyCAA. Although we’re moving again, I’m thrilled that I can continue taking classes online and apply them to the master’s program.”
