‘This is a comeback that’s really mine’

But things didn’t go to plan. She and her husband became parents before she could finish her bachelor’s degree, and she withdrew from classes. After a few years and another baby, career instability and a failing marriage rattled her family, so she attempted to stabilize the situation by enlisting early.

Finch overcame those obstacles, as well as a deployment, to earn her degree. She received her degree during Purdue Global’s May 2023 commencement.

“For me, having my bachelor’s degree keeps the door open. If I want to be a registered dietitian, I can. But another one I’ve thought about is health care administration; I could go that route, too,” she says. “I’m not quite sure how I’m going to use it yet. But I had to take this dream of what I wanted to do and decide I was going to own this. And this is mine.”

Read more of Danielle’s story on The Persistent Pursuit website.

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About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://stories.purdue.edu/purdue-global/.