Finishing Your Degree in the Midst of Life's Challenges

Lance Torres

When Lance Torres enrolled in the degree completion program, he kept it secret from most of his family and friends. Still carrying the shame of struggling through high school and community college, he didn’t want his loved ones to know if he failed. “School and I never really got along; I barely graduated from high school,” he says, attributing his challenges to dyslexia and ADHD.

Lance, who graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration: Organizational Leadership, says the degree completion program helped him achieve a goal that once seemed impossible. “FPU changed my life. It opened doors for me and helped me grow as a parent and as a student,” he says. “Everything in the degree completion program is tailored to students being able to work while getting their degree.”

Lance, 35, began working as a cashier at Rite Aid while attending high school in Modesto. A transfer to cashiering in the pharmacy led to him getting his pharmacy tech license in 2013. A year later, he married his wife, Lindsay, and their family has since expanded to include three children: Aria, 8; Brielle, 4; and 4-month-old Parker. Lance says it was during the COVID pandemic that he started considering avenues to make more money to help support his growing family.

In 2021, Lance enrolled at FPU, hopeful that a management degree would improve his career options. 

He continued working full-time as a pharmacy tech, hopping on condensed six-week Zoom classes after work, then carving out time for studying and homework. Lindsay, a full-time pre-school teacher, was working on her teaching credential and master’s degree at the same time, yet the couple managed to juggle careers, young children and school. “It’s all about time management, accountability and having a good support system,” Lance says.

During his final year of the program, Lance’s 27-year-old brother Ryan was diagnosed with cancer. Despite being the younger brother, Ryan served as a spiritual mentor for Lance, buying him his first adult study Bible and FaceTiming to help him with FPU’s required Bible classes. Ryan, an officer with the Fresno Police Department, lost his 10-month battle with cancer in March, just two months before Lance’s graduation.

Lance says the faith journey he’s been on since enrolling at FPU and his brother’s unwavering belief in Jesus have helped him as he walks through the loss. “Growing up, I thought the Bible was just words on a page and church youth group was fun, but FPU taught me how to interpret the Bible and how to apply my faith in the workplace,” he says.

It wasn’t until Lance officially qualified for graduation that he proudly told his in-laws he was about to be a college graduate, finally free of the fear of failure he’d carried since high school. “For someone who struggled in school, this was easier for me than a traditional university,” he says. “It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.” Lance is hoping to transition out of the pharmacy and into a career in pharmaceutical sales.

Lance hopes his children have learned what resilience looks like from watching him. “My kids will know that I struggled in school, but I buckled down and did it,” he says. “As a Christian, all I can hope for is to change one person’s life. Sharing my story is my way of serving.”

Hailie Benetti

At the age of 21, Hailie Benetti was the youngest person in her degree completion cohort, and while her college experience wasn’t the one she dreamt of in high school, she calls it one of the best decisions she’s ever made.

When Hailie graduated in the top 20 of her class from Los Banos High School, she already had 24 college credits under her belt. She’d hoped to attend a Christian college or university in southern California, but her family needed her at home, so she spent three semesters at Merced College. In January 2024, she transferred into FPU’s degree completion program to earn a B.A. in Business Administration: Organizational Leadership. Hailie’s mom is a single parent whose career takes her away from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day, so the responsibility of caring for her four-year-old sister, Alivia, falls to Hailie.

With the demands of being a full-time big sister and preschool teacher to Alivia, online school made the most sense for Hailie, who thrived in the program that provided the connections to students and professors she longed for, even in an online setting. 

“I’ve gained so many friendships; we talk almost daily,” she says of her classmates. “I’ve loved surrounding myself with people I get along with—they’re some of the best people I’ve met in my life.” She met her best friend during the program and found the love and support online that she once thought could only be found in a traditional college setting.

In addition to the friendships she’s made, Hailie saw her faith flourish during her time at FPU. She enjoyed the weekly faith integration discussions and the spiritual support she received from classmates and professors. She says the time they spent together in prayer kept her motivated throughout the program. “I’ve grown so much deeper in my faith than I would have at a state school,” she says. Hailie was baptized in June.

Michael Romo

When Michael Romo made the decision to go back to college in his 30s, he felt like he’d be better off on the janitorial team than in a classroom. But two and a half years later, with his B.A. in Liberal Arts in hand, Michael is thankful he decided to leave his building maintenance career behind him and keep working toward his dream of becoming a teacher.

After graduating from Clovis West High School in 2006, Michael attended Fresno City College until he dropped out when he became a father. After spending some time as a stay-at-home dad, he went to work as a nursing assistant for disabled youth and adults. He transitioned into building maintenance but eventually felt the toll that was taking on his body.

With an ex-wife who lives out of state, the single father of 13-year-old Luke, 12-year-old Grace and 10-year-old Elijah knew he needed to make a change, and it was thanks to his brother’s encouragement that he decided to go back to school to become a high school social science teacher. He initially enrolled in just one class of FPU’s degree completion program but quickly realized he could handle more.

Michael says he initially struggled to make meaningful connections with his classmates and professors but eventually found himself in a position to encourage fellow students who grappled with finding their way. 

“It can seem overwhelming when you first start, but like Dory in Finding Nemo, I encouraged them to just keep swimming,” he says. “Once you figure out your own rhythm, it’s pretty easy to navigate.”

For Michael, who doesn’t consider himself a Christian, tackling the two required Bible classes proved challenging, but helped him examine why his childhood beliefs didn’t follow him into adulthood.

In addition to the flexibility to work at his own pace while juggling a job and children, Michael says his classes prepared him to start the teaching credential program this summer. He plans to eventually earn his master’s degree. “They teach the classes in a way that’s geared towards helping you learn how to teach subjects yourself,” he says. “The program is challenging but doable. I’d highly recommend it.”