Distance Learning Leads to Love's Secrets for One CLA Graduate

By Emily Garrigues Marett

When Yolandé McVey enrolled in WSU's Distance Degree Programs, she never anticipated the positive momentum it would create in her life. McVey had reached "30-something" and decided it was time to work on some unfulfilled goals. One was to write a novel. The other was to finish the college degree she had started at the University of Illinois in 1982 but put on hold for marriage and starting a family in 1985.

Attending a traditional campus-based program was not an option for McVey, a mother of 4 who suffers from a severely restrictive respiratory disease that limits her ability to leave the filtered-air environment of her home in Dolton, Illinois.

"That disability, along with the side effects of my prescribed medications, made it impossible for me to attend on-campus courses on a regular schedule," McVey explained. "WSU's Distance Degree Programs allowed me to work within the confines of my medical limitations without sacrificing a quality education."

What McVey didn't expect was how empowering her DDP experience would be.

"When you're disabled and homebound like I was, it can be a traumatic experience," she said. "You almost feel like you're cut off from the rest of the world. Through the DDP program I was able to meet other students from all over the world, make connections, and reactivate my intellectual juices—that was wonderful. I felt like part of this world again."

McVey found the academic environment of DDP's online courses equally inspiring.

"The class experience is unique—all the superfluous things are stripped away and it's all academic, a pure exchange of ideas. The professors encourage you to really engage with the material, and to challenge the textbook if you don't agree with it. You really feel like an empowered individual with important contributions to the learning environment."

Now "40-something," McVey has accomplished her goals—and then some. Inspired by the recent upsurge in ethnic fiction in the contemporary marketplace, McVey decided to try her hand at writing a full-length romance novel. Her book, Love's Secrets, tells the story of 30-something divorcée Veronica Stacker, who after finding love again uncovers an earth-shattering secret that throws her world into a tailspin. Love's Secrets will be released by Genesis Press Inc. this July.

"Writing fiction, poetry, and theatrical pieces has been one of my lifelong passions, but I never imagined I would actually become a published author!" said McVey.

After graduating from WSU with her bachelor's degree in social sciences in December, McVey is currently pursuing an advanced degree in counseling and human services at National-Louis University and has 3 new novel plot lines under development. She hopes to continue as a professional novelist while pursuing a career as a licensed clinical professional counselor.

"I hope to fill a void for families with teens suffering from challenging conditions such as bi-polar disorder," said McVey. "Support groups are sorely lacking for this population in the Chicago area."

According to McVey, WSU provided the spark that made her current successes possible. "WSU made me feel like I could make a valuable contribution to this world at a time when I felt like I would never feel that way again," she said. "Without WSU, I don't know if I would have found that positive energy that propelled me forward and lit that fire inside of me again."

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Emily Garrigues Marett is marketing communications coordinator for WSU's Center for Distance and Professional Education.