When Joye Lavender first started at Peirce College, she knew she wanted to earn her degree to not only better her career, but to show her one child – at the time – how as a single mother who was working full time, she could still do it.
As her classes took off and she got deeper into the program, a new blessing came into Joye’s life. She found out she was pregnant with twins! Now, chasing her degree got a bit trickier, but Joye refused to stop.
“During my bachelor’s degree, when I found out I was pregnant with twins, the professors at Peirce College encouraged me to keep going,” explained Joye. “I continued to push to go to class and get my work done. Even when I had to stop working for a while to be off my feet because of my pregnancy, I didn’t stop taking classes.”
Extra Time Meant Extra Courses
Joye used the extra time at home to her advantage and decided to enroll in Peirce’s Master of Science in Healthcare Administration program, specifically joining the Graduate Scholars program. Through this opportunity, Joye could finish her bachelor’s degree while starting to take a few master’s classes at the undergraduate price.
Joye’s twins were born in October of 2017 and by that May of 2018, Joye finished her bachelor’s and was already a couple classes into her master’s program.
“I decided just to keep going because my plate was already full and as the kids continued to get older, I knew it would only get fuller”
“I decided just to keep going because my plate was already full and as the kids continued to get older, I knew it would only get fuller,” said Joye. “I knew the future wouldn’t be any freer than it is now, so might as well keep going and show all my children how you can do it no matter what you are balancing.”
With Peirce’s small class size and the resources available to students, Joye knew despite her full plate, she would have no problem finishing this next journey. “Peirce has always made school convenient for me. With the intimate classroom setting and the availability of support for all students, I knew I didn’t want to earn my master’s anywhere else. Peirce made me feel comfortable enough to just do it sooner rather than later.”
Finishing in Record Time
Joye took the “sooner rather than later” seriously and finished her next degree in record time. As of August 2019, just a little over a year after graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Joye proudly handed in her final work for her master’s program and ended with a 4.0 GPA.
Joye said her experience in the master’s program was nothing like she anticipated. She said, “When you hear of a master’s program, you immediately get nervous thinking about all the work and assignments. But, at Peirce, they make it possible. There is plenty of time to complete everything and get the help you need from professors and tutors to do it well. In this program, I gained more than just knowledge from the coursework, I learned from both my professors’ and classmates’ experiences.”
From the Classroom to the Workplace
With both of her degrees in hand and a vast amount of knowledge, Joye took her education right into the workplace. “I earned a management position once I earned my bachelor’s degree. I manage two departments, pre-certification and appeals, at Temple Hospital.” Joye explained how now with her master’s degree, she is working to incorporate her new skills and experience to amplify her career even more.
Working in health care, this current year has definitely presented some difficulties for Joye, but nothing she can’t handle. “I am still working during COVID-19. It’s definitely difficult and different with the social distancing guidelines and the fear it creates. As an employee in the health care field, I want to provide for my employer and help as much as I can while also caring for my family and doing everything I can to not bring anything home. It’s a tough balance between being a dedicated employee while protecting my family.”
Peirce College commends Joye not only for balancing a full plate of work and family while earning two degrees, but also for her dedication to serving the community during this pandemic. Thank you for all you do, Joye.