Valerie Craig Finished Her Associate Degree — But She’s Not Done Yet

Valerie Craig ’25 wasn’t planning to go to her commencement ceremony. She was already focused on her next goals.

But her family encouraged her to make the trek from Albany, New York, to Manchester, New Hampshire, so they could celebrate her associate degree with the rest of Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) Class of 2025.

“I'm glad I did... because it was a nice experience,” Craig said. "It was an achievement. It was a celebration with others.”

Among her supporters were her daughter, husband, brother and sister-in-law — a group she hoped to share her gratitude with that day.

“Thank you guys," she said. "I love you so much for coming and supporting me and encouraging me to come to this commencement."

Liberal Arts: A Little Bit of Everything

Craig didn’t have a specific degree in mind when she returned to school. She just knew her employer wanted her to get a degree.

An associate degree in liberal arts felt like a good option, given how general it was. It allowed her to take courses in business and writing. “That’s what I needed at the time,” she said.

In her role as an employee relations specialist, Craig said she wears a lot of hats. One of those “hats” involves managing a budget. When it came time to take an accounting course, Craig said she wanted to run from it. But it ended up making an impact on her professionally.

“It has helped me in my current position to manage the budget much better,” she said. “The exposure to that class ... has helped me to be more efficient in my job, in my role.”

She’s not done taking accounting courses, either. After finishing her associate degree, Craig transferred her credits into SNHU’s bachelor’s in business administration program.

Next Up: A Bachelor’s in Business Administration

If you earn an associate degree, like Craig, you may be able to transfer some or all of those credits into a bachelor's degree program.

So when Craig’s associate program came to an end, she decided she wasn’t done at SNHU.

“I like the curriculum,” she said. “I like the support I get from the advisors. I like to check in weekly to make sure I'm on course, (if) I need help ... I'm doing it online, remotely. I don't feel alone; I feel supported by the team here.”

Between her first day at SNHU, her graduation day and starting her bachelor’s degree, Craig said she learned she can do anything she puts her mind to. She encourages others to keep moving forward, too, no matter the obstacles.

“If you fall down, get back up,” she said. "If you don't get the grades you want, just try harder next time. If you're falling behind in your assignments, communicate with your advisor or your professor, and they'll help you get through.”

Rebecca LeBoeuf Blanchette '18 '22G is a writer at Southern New Hampshire University, where she fulfills her love of learning daily through conversations with professionals across a range of fields. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing at SNHU’s campus in Manchester, New Hampshire, and followed her love of storytelling into the online Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing at SNHU. Connect with her on LinkedIn.