Michelle Case had a question she could not ignore.

After years of working in a public high school agricultural program in New York, supporting students and serving through Future Farmers of America (FFA), she wondered whether she would ever reach her own goal of leading an agricultural classroom.

She had already started late by traditional college timelines, beginning her associate degree at 45 years old while attending in-person night classes at her local community college. The work was demanding. She was balancing family, two jobs, FFA advisor duties and coursework, and she quickly learned how much time college required.

Then COVID moved her classes online.

At first, the shift brought a new challenge. Case had to learn the computer systems and adjust to a different way of studying. But after a few weeks, she found her rhythm. Online learning gave her room to keep up with responsibilities at home, at work and in her community while continuing her education.

After completing her associate degree, she searched for an online bachelor’s degree that would allow her to keep moving toward her goal. Local colleges did not offer online agricultural programs. They also did not offer night classes in agricultural science or agricultural education.

“I was then stuck, and the question came up: ‘Was I ever going to be able to achieve my goal of one day having my very own agricultural classroom, or was this the end of my dream?’” Case said.

The answer came at the National FFA Convention college expo, where she found the NC State table and learned about the university’s new Agricultural Science Online bachelor’s degree program.

“When they smiled and said they were starting an online agricultural science bachelor’s degree program, I gave a huge sigh of relief,” Case said.

Finding a Path Forward

For Case, the online program offered more than convenience. It gave her access to a degree she could not pursue locally without stepping away from the responsibilities she already carried.

Her days were full, and her schedule required discipline. She worked on coursework before heading to school, listened to lectures while driving, studied during lunch breaks and returned to assignments after work, FFA meetings or high school sports events.

Many nights stretched late.

“Sleep is overrated,” Case said. “This is where online was the best.”

She protected one boundary. Sundays were reserved for rest.

“I made it a point not to do any schoolwork on Sundays,” she said. “Sundays are my day to recharge.”

That structure helped her continue through a demanding program while balancing teaching, family, local coursework and NC State degree requirements.

Learning From the Students She Served

Case’s work as a teaching assistant in a public high school shaped her experience as an online student in unexpected ways.

When she did not know how to use Canva, she asked high school students to teach her. When she struggled with math, she stayed after school and sat in on the math teacher’s extra help sessions. When an assignment required at least 25 survey responses, her coworkers and students stepped in.

“Working as a teaching assistant in a public high school has saved me many times,” Case said.

Her role placed her in a learning environment every day, and she embraced the humility required to ask for help. In doing so, she modeled the same persistence she encouraged in her students.

Turning Fear Into Motivation

When Case first began college, she kept the decision mostly to herself. She feared failing, and she did not want to explain a dream she might not finish.

But as coursework demanded more time and energy, she began telling friends, family, coworkers and members of her FFA community why she was tired, why she was multitasking and why she was missing some activities.

Soon, many people knew what she was working toward. They asked about her classes. They checked on her progress. Their encouragement helped, but so did the accountability.

“The fear of failure I carried at the start, I learned to use as motivation,” Case said. “I could never look at them and say, ‘I did not finish, it got too hard, and I quit.’”

During the hardest seasons, Case kept going. Now, after years of coursework and sacrifice, she has received the hugs, congratulations and words of pride that made the journey worth it.

“I can now tell every single one of them, ‘If I can do it, anyone can do it,’” she said.

A Degree Six Years in the Making

Case graduated from NC State with honors, though she did not realize it until graduation day.

Her husband showed her name in the graduation program, where the distinction appeared. Case said she had been so focused on completing the next assignment, meeting the next deadline and moving toward the next goal that she had not paid close attention to her grades beyond making sure she was passing.

“The piece of paper I started working on six years ago has finally come to fruition,” she said.

For Case, the degree represents years of late nights, early mornings, long drives, online lectures, family support, community encouragement and determination. It also brings her closer to the classroom she has long envisioned for herself.

“I am so close to my goal of becoming an agricultural teacher,” Case said. “It is an amazing feeling.”

Her story reflects the purpose of NC State’s online and distance education programs: creating pathways for students whose goals are clear, but whose lives require flexibility. For Case, Agricultural Science Online helped keep a long-held dream within reach.

Now, she moves forward with a message shaped by experience, persistence and the students who helped her along the way.

If she can do it, she says, anyone can.