MORE ABOUT CHRIS
Graduation Date: June 2008
Current Employment:
- CNA Insurance – Director of Human Resource Management Systems
Chris Horsman
Area of Study:Leadership
I chose to study in the School for New Learning (SNL) because... I did research on adult programs in Chicago and decided this was the best program for me. I attended a Learning Assessment Seminar to validate my research and applied for admission after the session. I wanted a program that respected me as an adult, took advantage of the life experiences that I have had and challenged me to learn.
I decided to attend DePaul because… after looking at the options available to me and evaluating the SNL program I decided it was the program that best fit my learning style. I like experiential learning and that is what this program is all about. Another thing that helped was the reputation of DePaul as a great learning institution. I didn’t want a “mail order” degree; I wanted a degree that would have meaning on my résumé.
The learning environment here at DePaul is... fantastic! The faculty at DePaul treats me with respect and understands that I’m out there in the business world making a living. Many times professors will tailor an assignment or timeline based on input from the class. The assignment doesn’t go away; it just gets placed in a timeline that works for the class.
My favorite professor at DePaul is... Miriam Ben-Yoseph is my all time favorite professor! She’s been out there in the business world, she’s been in academia, and she knows how to deliver a class where students get the most out of it. She is the best professor I think that I’ve ever had in all the years and universities that I’ve attended.
The class I most enjoyed here was... Experiencing the United Nations — Pat Szczerba took our class to the United Nations NGO/DPI annual conference. The subject of the conference was "Climate Change: How it Affects Us All." What an unbelievable opportunity to be in the United Nations, sitting in the General Assembly hall listening to speakers from around the world talk and educate on this very important global matter. I met people from all kinds of non-governmental organizations that were from around the world and are working to stop the change in our global climate. I’ve become a “green disciple” as a result of this class. Do you know what your carbon footprint is? Do you recycle? Are you replacing light bulbs in your home with smart bulbs? Ok, I’ll stop now...
When I have free time, I like to... read the pile of novels that are building up, as I spend most of my spare time reading for classes. I like to cook, Italian food is my specialty and I have an abnormal amount of wine in my house that I’ve collected from many trips to Northern California wine country. I’m not a wine snob but I do enjoy a good glass of wine.
One thing I didn’t know about DePaul before coming was... the number of different programs and learning that is offered at the university.
Here, the diversity of students, faculty and staff... I guess what I would say here is that there is diversity and that makes learning happen in better and different ways. Classrooms aren’t full of all the same people; there are people from different cultures, different backgrounds and different learning styles that help us to learn in different ways.
As a School for New Learning student, building my own customized program has... My learning plan made me think about my education and the knowledge that I wanted to take with me when leaving DePaul after graduation. SNL forces us to choose a focus area in life or work and then build a program that supports that focus. It made me really think about where I want to go in life and in my career post-graduation.
My experience as an adult student at DePaul has been... amazing! All those years of teachers telling me that if I only applied myself I could be an "A student"... well, they were right. This time around, I am giving my education my full attention; I am focused on the results of my studying and I am getting "A's." I’ve made some terrific friends from classes that I’ve been in. I still keep in touch with my two teammates from my very first class.
The best thing about DePaul is... the resources available to students to help us succeed. From librarians that will spend individual time assisting in research, to the writing center, to the many tutoring resources, DePaul wants to make sure we learn and we are successful in our studies.
My greatest success as a student here has been... my grade point average, 3.9! It’s the best GPA I’ve had in my entire learning life.
After graduation, I plan to... attend graduate school at DePaul. I'm looking at an MS in Business Information Technology.
The one thing I’d like to say to students considering DePaul... You have the time to attend school, no matter how busy your life is, no matter what your work life is like, trust me you have the time. It takes a quarter to get your life in order, make sure you plan to suffer a little bit when you first start. Work with those around you, co-workers, significant others and family on this change that needs to take place. Get agreements that you now have this additional thing going on in your life. By the second quarter of school you will be asking yourself, "why didn’t I do this sooner?" When I first started the program I had a job where I did global traveling. I managed to make it through that first quarter and now here I am a quarter away from graduation.
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