Gaining Confidence in College With Andrinna Broadnax

When Andrinna Broadnax '25 earned her bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), she achieved a goal that had been in progress for more than two decades.

"I started over 20 years ago, and I had to take a few breaks because of family and raising kids," Broadnax said at her graduation ceremony. "So it was really, really important for me to show them that I can continue this journey and actually finish it."

She studied online from her home state of Maryland, earning a bachelor's degree in public health. And while she admitted that she had been nervous about how she would do in an online program, Broadnax said the experience ultimately gave her confidence to move forward with her next career goals.

"I definitely didn't think that I was a candidate for online school," she said. "But I was able to navigate the platform, so now I'm more confident, and I feel like I can do anything I put my mind to."

Going Back to School

Since her children were older now, Broadnax said finishing school didn't seem as out of reach.

"I had a little more free time," she said. "So I was able to give back to myself and take this on and invest in myself and my future."

And while it was an investment in herself, Broadnax said her children were her inspiration. In fact, her time at SNHU started when she promised her son that she would finish her degree after he joined the U.S. Air Force.

"I said, 'By the time you're finished with your first contract, I would be a college graduate,'" she said. And she was.

Support From Staff

Although Broadnax was worried about studying online for the first time, she said student support services at SNHU made the transition manageable. She noted that the support she received made her realize that she had picked the right school.

"I've never taken online college classes before, and the way that they explained everything and walked me through, it seemed like the best possible place for me to be," Broadnax said.

She said SNHU's academic advisors were especially helpful. "Anytime I had a question, anytime I just needed that extra push or some guidance and some understanding, I would call," she said.

Even if your own advisor isn't available to speak with you, she said another advisor can help you out. "They will lead you to the right place or the right people, and they never, never leave you stranded," Broadnax said. "I love, love, love advising."

So, What’s Next?

After jumping back into school and finishing her public health degree, Broadnax said she's not done learning and growing. While an associate in nursing isn't available at SNHU, Broadnax plans to earn the degree elsewhere so she can become licensed as a registered nurse (RN).

"It was always my dream to be a nurse," she said. "I love working with the public. I love working with people. So it just made sense to combine the public health piece with the nursing piece and be out there helping everyone in my community."

Now that she knows she can do it, Broadnax said she's excited to move forward with her education and continue working to be an asset to her community. And for anyone else who's been thinking about going back to school? She said you can do it, too.

"No matter what, you can go back. You can finish," she said. "Anything's possible."

Mars Girolimon '21 '23G is a staff writer at Southern New Hampshire University where they earned their bachelor's and master's, both in English and creative writing. In addition to their work in higher education, Girolimon's short fiction is published in the North American Review, So It Goes by The Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, X-R-A-Y and more. Connect with them on LinkedIn.