Since 2013, Wilmington University has been honoring the accomplishments of students who are earning degrees remotely.
The Summer 2019 Online Student of the Block is Matt Blood, a champion of older adults, who earned his MS in Administration of Human Services at WilmU.
“It puts a face to online learning, touting students’ accomplishments and sharing a little about their lives,” says Dr. Matthew Davis, senior director of Online Learning.
Since the rollout of Canvas, WilmU’s learning management system, activity has increased via the online student association, whose features include monthly discussions in which students are invited to give feedback.
“The real core is to connect online students, who are a part of our community even though they don’t set foot on campus,” Dr. Davis says. “Canvas is a lot more user friendly, especially for mobile phone users.”
Blood, who lives in Seattle, is an investigator for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services investigating allegations of abuse, neglect, exploitation and abandonment of vulnerable adults. He has worked with older and disabled adults throughout his career and was inspired by caring for his great grandmother.
Past Online Student of the Block honorees have included such diverse students as a grandmother pursuing a degree in Business Management, a former minor league baseball player who enrolled in the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, and a Behavioral Science major who maintained a 3.9 GPA while planning a wedding, having a baby and volunteering in the community.
Students can be nominated by faculty, students, people in the community or self-nominated.