Professional poise and time management

Health education, much like the sport of gymnastics, interested Hana from a young age. “I’m an athlete, so I’m always surrounded by the subject. We have a lot of physical therapy sessions where we’re always learning new things. I always found it interesting because it benefited me and my teammates,” said Hana when describing her draw to the subject. She also credits her family in helping her discover her academic direction. “I have younger siblings, so I have a natural passion for caring for the people around me.”

A coveted career in the world of professional sports is timely due to the prolonged physical demands. As such, Hana decided to simultaneously pursue her bachelor’s degree in a subject related to her career while training for Paris 2024. ����������’s flexibility ensured that Hana could earn her UF degree after moving from Miami, Florida to train in Deerfield, Illinois.

Time management became an important academic aspect to Hana while training at least 3 hours a day throughout her middle and high school years. “Sometimes I’ll make a plan for an assignment, but things come up and it gets challenging. I try to stay as organized as possible. Being able to have a schedule for when I need to complete my school assignments just like I do for training allows me to spread my work throughout the week,” said Hana.

Flexibility on and off the mat with an online degree program

Rhythmic gymnasts perform a choreographed routine with an apparatus — a rope, hoop, ball, ribbon, or clubs — in both individual and group categories. To qualify for Paris 2024, Hana and her teammates will first travel to compete against other teams in places like Brazil, Estonia, and Greece. “My goal is to get there. Not just for myself, but for the country, and to improve our reputation as a rhythmic gymnastics team. That’s part of what I want to accomplish in going to the Olympics,” said Hana when asked what qualifying and competing in the Olympics would mean to her.

Rhythmic gymnastics emphasizes hand-eye coordination, flexibility, and grace, and does not utilize bars or beams. Traveling is a familiar concept to Hana, as her athletic career has already taken her to Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Russia, and Spain. With such a busy schedule, a university that allows for remote learning was a benefit Hana took into consideration when choosing ���������� over other degree programs. “The University of Miami was an option, but they would have required me to attend in-person. Attending school locally wouldn’t have worked because I train anywhere between 5-8 hours a day, sometimes twice a day, at least 5 days a week,” explained Hana.

Flexibility has always been a big part of Hana’s life both professionally and academically. “They probably don’t remember, but ever since the twins were born I was already doing gymnastics,” said Hana when referring to her younger brothers. When describing how she earned her spot on Team USA, Hana explained “I took time off for my freshman year of high school, and it was probably the best decision I ever made. I was able to spend more time with my family. I knew I wanted to go back to gymnastics, and I did, but this time as a group gymnast. That was how I discovered the open call to see if I could earn a spot on the national team.”

A Gator reaching for graduation and Olympic glory

As she continues her Olympic training, Hana remains confident in both her team and her online degree program. When asked what earning her degree in health education would mean to her, Hana said “It would definitely help me stay connected to my passions, just in a different way. I know I can’t be a rhythmic gymnast forever, so whatever I decide to do specifically, I know that a degree will help me stay involved in the community and essentially just help improve any problems that gymnasts or other athletes face.”

Whether retirement is on the near horizon for Hana has yet to be decided. “It’s not definite for me to retire after Paris. The 2028 Summer Olympics are being held in Los Angeles, so Team USA is guaranteed a spot to compete. I’d just have to weigh whether or not that’s enough for me to stay, because the sport requires a lot of flexibility,” said Hana.

���������� and the University of Florida will continue to cheer Hana on as she strives for gold while earning her bachelor’s degree. Stories like hers allow our program to display incredible examples of students earning a degree of distinction while utilizing unmatched flexibility in higher education and professional goals. We proudly wear our red, white, orange and blue in support of Hana as a Gator, and a member of Team USA!

Balancing the life of a rock star and student

At 16, Seth never imagined spending his college years touring the world. The small band Seth and his friend started in High School soon turned into a professional music career for both of them. Today, Wage War has become a popular name in the heavy metal music genre, earning millions of views on their music videos and a growing number of followers on their social platforms.

Early on, Seth was able to take classes in-person while touring around Florida, accumulating enough credits to earn an A.A. degree from Lake Sumter State College in Leesburg, Florida. Yet when his band went next-level and signed a record deal with Fearless Records out of Los Angeles, California, Seth knew that doing the hard work to earn his bachelor’s degree would be a lot more challenging. He had originally planned on attending nursing school, but those plans quickly changed once he saw his new touring schedule.

Seth wanted to earn his degree from the University of Florida, but he wasn’t sure how he’d be able to do that while pursuing his successful music career. It wasn’t until he found out about ���������� that Seth knew he had found a way to pursue both of his dreams: music and going to college at UF.

Flexible format, same UF degree

Seth wanted to stick to his original plan of earning a degree related to health sciences. While he knew most health-based majors require a lot of in-person labs, he found ����������’s Health Education and Behavior (HEB) major taught by UF’s College of Health and Human Performance to be the ideal route for him.

“Doing classes online was the only way I could do school,” Seth stated. “I ended up calling ����������, and they said that they offer online classes for students who can’t come to campus, such as those in the military, all the time. They even said that if you tell teachers your situation, they can be flexible with your schedule. That conversation made me decide that I can do this.”

Seth was relieved that UF’s HEB major would enable him to complete health and science courses online so that he could earn his B.S degree while on tour. He continued to say, “I was glad that I would have my bachelors under my belt as I would be a step ahead to another career once the band comes to an end in the future.”

UF faculty going the extra mile for every Gator

Seth admits it wasn’t always easy to finish his coursework on the road. There were times where he had zero Wi-Fi or data while his band was traveling. Starbucks became one of his favorite travel stops as he knew he would be able to use their Wi-Fi to access his classes. Since Seth knew his course deadlines may interfere with his tour schedule, he always made sure to let his professors know about his situation at the beginning of the semester.

“I can’t even express how much the professors were willing to work with me. There were times where if I knew for a fact that we had a long travel day and something was due, I would ask my professors to unlock assignments earlier or give me an extra day to finish something. They would always do it,” Seth emphasized.

With the COVID-19 pandemic putting a pause to Wage War’s touring schedule, Seth was then able to shift back to a full-time focus on his UF studies and complete an internship in-person at Absolute Health in Ocala, FL. As an HEB student via ����������, Seth was required to complete a 15-credit hour, full-time internship to gain hands-on learning before graduation. Interning at a doctor’s office during a global pandemic was a change of pace for Seth, as he is used to performing on stage in front of thousands of fans.

“There were some days where I was helping with COVID testing and doing some really cool things that I never expected to do,” Seth said. “So, it was amazing to have that hands-on experience in the internship.”

Dr. Holly Moses, one of Seth’s Health Education professors, mentions that Seth always made an effort to stay professional. “Seth’s situation was unique and presented challenges. However, he communicated with me early and often.” Dr. Moses went on to say, “because Seth is a true professional and dedicated to his studies, he not only successfully completed his HEB degree but excelled throughout his internship.”

Seth, like all ���������� students, also had the benefit of a dedicated academic advisor that worked with him every step of the way. Erica Alexander, Seth’s academic advisor, thinks fondly of her time advising Seth over the years. “Seth was always on-top of everything, even with the demands of touring. I enjoyed being his advisor and seeing him through to the completion of his educational journey,” Erica said. “I know he will go on to do amazing and great things in this world.”

Now a Gator graduate

As a recent UF graduate, Seth couldn’t be prouder of himself for continuing to push towards his degree. He says that one of his favorite experiences as a UF student was the professors and his academic advisor being so helpful to him throughout his journey.

One piece of advice Seth has for other students who have demanding careers or lifestyles is that there is no rush. “I knew whether I graduate at 27 or 30, that time is going to pass no matter what. So, I figured I can chip away at 1 or 2 classes at a time over the years.” Seth continued to say, “just know that you’ll be happy after you finish. It’s a great finish line to cross.”

Join us in congratulating Seth on this tremendous accomplishment. Seth’s story highlights how our online Gators go above and beyond to achieve their educational goals. No matter your career, lifestyle, or ambitions, ���������� opens the pathway to a UF bachelor’s degree without compromise. Go Gators!

Q: ����������?

I researched all the online school options before selecting UF. Now that I am a mother of three, finding this online degree just completely changed everything and opened up a lot of opportunities.

Q: How long did it take to get your bachelor’s degree?

I completed my degree in 18 months.

Q: How did you know that online learning was right for you?

It’s an experience that works for where I’m at in my life. If you aren’t straight out of high school, or are unable to live on campus and be part of that scene, you can still get that education at a top-notch school without giving up a lot of the other things.

Q: How do you balance learning, work and family?

I have three kids. My youngest is 4 weeks old. I preferred to study and watch lectures in Panera, Starbucks and at my home office. I utilized email and the phone to communicate for group projects.

Q: What advice do you have for future Gators considering ����������?

You just have to be realistic. Make sure that it is something you can commit to and be organized.

Q: What makes the B.S. in Health Education & Behavior program great?

I was able to apply my classwork to the hospital setting, where I volunteer. I also applied my learning to develop a program with peer counselors. I was able to apply a lot of that information to the opportunities that I’m working on now. All the professors who I had taught the exact same class on campus, and all the materials were the same. The only difference was I had video lectures that were recorded already instead of it being in person.

Q: Do you feel connected to the Gator Nation?

Well, my husband’s whole family is UF alumni. I connected with a couple of students during the program, and now past graduation, we continue to keep in touch. Honestly, it is what you make of it. It’s kind of like any classroom, you know, someone can sit in the classroom in a lecture hall of a couple hundred students and never stand out; the same thing happens with the online program. I just interacted with the professors as much as I could. I attended graduation and walked in the ceremony.

Q: What does the future hold?

I graduated with honors, Summa Cum Laude, and with an academic scholarship. I’m now considering graduate school through ����������.

Jessika’s story is a great example of how to thrive as a student through ����������. There are so many students just like her enrolled with us. Consider being part of the Gator Nation by applying to ����������. Come join Jessika. Be Greater. Be a Gator.