"I was motivated to go back to school because of my son. He inspired me to push and prove to myself and everyone that I could go above and beyond. My name is Vaneisha McLucas and I am a Customer Care Analyst at Mutual of Omaha. I earned my Master of Science in Child, Youth, and Family Studies at Bellevue University.
"It has been one of my goals for a long time to earn a master's degree. This program gave me the tools to be able to learn from others and understand that everyone learns differently and at their own pace. I will take the skills that I learned in my program far beyond the walls of Bellevue University. These skills will help me move forward in my career, not just academic skills but also personal and emotional skills.
"The main reason I enrolled in my program at Bellevue University in the first place was because of my 13-year-old son. He was accepted into a new school and I was excited. However, he was not because he felt it would be too difficult for him. He then said to me, 'Mom...if I go to this school, then you need to go back to school like you always said you would and earn your degree.' At that moment I knew it was time for me to do what I said I was going to do. So I completed my program, my son agreed to attend his new school, and we both succeeded in something new. Without his desire to watch me succeed and the support from Mutual of Omaha and Bellevue University, I would not have had the motivation to go back.
"To complete this program, I had to balance my family life, professional life, and academic life. I worked during the day and took care of my children in the evenings. When they were off to bed, I took the time to complete my assignments and study for school. At times it was tough, especially on the weekends when my kids wanted to enjoy their time off from school with me. They knew I had work to do and gave me the grace and time that I needed to get everything done.
"The biggest obstacle when completing my degree was when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I had to be a mother, wife, teacher to my children, and a student for myself. Having on so many hats took a toll on me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I overcame this by setting a schedule for all of us to follow and making sure everything was accomplished. It was stressful but we all managed to complete work life, home life, and school life.
"I would like to thank my team at Mutual of Omaha, my family, and Bellevue University for providing the support and motivating me to push myself to higher heights."
Vaneisha McLucas
Customer Care Analyst
Mutual of Omaha
Bellevue University Graduate
