NEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
12/19/2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES - For Sarah Basler of Pearl City, Hawaii, finding a school in which she could earn a degree from any location was of prime importance. Basler was one of 578 students to be awarded a degree during Fall Commencement exercises at Northwestern State University Friday. As a high school student in Perryville, Mo., Basler never planned to go to college.
“It was just never in my future plans but after I got married and moved to Germany I found out my husband Shane was going to Iraq for the first time and I thought maybe I should go to school,” she said.
Basler found Northwestern while living in Germany.
“I was trying to find a school that would let me get a degree no matter where I moved and one that was flexible with my schedule. My neighbor showed me a website that listed the top 100 schools and I knew I wanted to go to a southern school so that narrowed my search and I found that Northwestern had all the things I was looking for as far as degree programs,” she said. “When I enrolled I became very determined to do well. I figured if I have to pay for this then I am going to do the best I can and get something out of it.”
Four and a half years later, Basler is graduating with an associate degree in criminal justice and a bachelor’s in psychology with a concentration in substance abuse. Earning a degree while living the military life has been a challenge. Basler’s husband has been to Iraq and Kuwait three times in the last 4-1/2 years. The couple moved five times in two different states and within a foreign country.
“My husband has been very supportive in my going to college and the professors at NSU have been outstanding and supporting me every step of the way,” Basler said. “The most difficult times in college are when I have to move and have to be without Internet and when my husband leaves and comes back. It is hard to focus on college and life when I don’t have a steady routine.”
Basler’s husband returned from Iraq on Dec. 5 when Basler was taking finals and studying for exams.
“He understood completely and even helped me study. My current neighbors could see how stressed I was with school so they even offered to help me study for the exit exam before my husband came home. I think if I didn’t have so much support going to school then I probably would have not made it this far,” she said.
The couple, now stationed in Hawaii, and several members of Basler’s family visited NSU for the first time when Basler was awarded her diploma Friday. While on campus, Basler was able to meet in person someone who was a friend and mentor to her during her college career.
“In my first semester freshmen year I met Patty Varnado. She was like an angel in disguise,” Basler said. Varnado is managing director of the Space Science Group who taught Basler in a computer science Internet class in 2004.
“My husband had just left for Iraq and I could not get my computer to work, and with an online school that is something that is pretty important,” Basler said. “I tried everything to get the program to work but I failed all attempts. I didn’t know what the rules where to calling professors but I was really stressed and needed help. When I called Patty she was so sweet and helped me as much as she could and she even put me on speakerphone so my husband could talk to me through the computer. We finally figured out my computer and Patty has been one of the greatest teachers and one of the greatest people that I have met. I think if I wouldn’t have had her to help me in that very first semester then I don’t think I would be graduating now.”
“Even though I only knew the Baslers through emails and phone calls, I have great respect for both of them, first because they have honorably served our country. They have been stationed all over the world while serving in the military. Shane has served several tours in Iraq, and through it all Sarah has persevered through these most difficult circumstances to earn her degree,” Varnado said.
Basler plans to pursue a graduate degree in social work, but is waiting to see where her husband will be stationed next before selecting a graduate school.
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