Wilson College Online Blog

Rebecca Coyle is a nonmedical case manager for people living with HIV at the Frederick County Health Department in Frederick, Maryland. She helps clients get tested and connects them to whatever lifesaving services they need, whether they test positive or not.

Because of people like Coyle and today’s accessible and effective treatments for HIV, a diagnosis is no longer the death sentence it once was. Which means funding for programs like Coyle’s will soon be cut, and her position will be too. But, to Coyle, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“That’s the goal, right? To normalize an HIV diagnosis as much as something like hypertension,” Coyle said. “You don’t need case managers for people with high blood pressure.”

To prepare for her impending pivot, Coyle enrolled in Wilson College Online’s Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Liberal Studies program in 2023. Less than three years later, this working mother has her degree, a new set of skills, and a whole world of career possibilities awaiting her.

A Passion for Service and a Drive to Do More

Coyle’s passion for helping people through their toughest battles goes back to before she took on her current position. Throughout her career, she’s worked in emergency rooms, in children’s health facilities, and for ambulance services.

Everywhere she went, Coyle leveraged her real-world skills to climb the ranks and secure promotions. One thing, however, often blocked her path.

“What led me to Wilson was that I was kind of stuck at the level I was at if I didn’t further my education,” Coyle said. “I felt that I could do more.”

Coyle shared this feeling with her mentor at the health department who convinced her to sign up for just one class at a local community college. Before she knew it, she had an Associate of Arts in Social Sciences and a drive to earn a bachelor’s. A neighbor suggested she should check out her alma mater: Wilson College.

Navigating Education as an Adult Learner

Along with being a working professional, Coyle is also a mother of two and a wife. When she started looking into Wilson College, she knew she needed a program that offered flexibility and taught skills she could use in any of a variety of potential careers.

Wilson College Online’s B.A. in Liberal Studies program seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

“What I like about Wilson and my program specifically is that I got to pick what I wanted to take,” Coyle said. “And for the most part, I got to take classes in the order I wanted. That’s what made me seal the deal with Wilson.”

Learning Career-Ready Skills

Once enrolled in the liberal studies program, Coyle decided to minor in psychology and tailor her studies toward building the knowledge and skills she can use in working with people. She has done that her whole career and wants to continue doing so in the future.

“Wilson gave me flexibility so I could focus on it without having to fully immerse myself in a psychology degree,” she said, adding that she took classes on topics such as abnormal psychology and the science of drugs and alcohol.

In these classes, Coyle also learned skills she can take just about anywhere, including to her current position.

“I did a lot of research and refined my writing,” she said. “The papers I wrote help me document my encounters with clients better. Intentionally transmitting HIV is a crime, and you have to make sure all your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed when you’re documenting.”

A Well-Rounded Curriculum

Coyle also took classes on anthropology, fine arts, political science, and criminology. She was surprised to find that these classes helped her just as much as her psychology classes did.

“My time in school taught me to see the bigger picture,” she said. “Even though I don’t have a political science degree, I have the background if I wanted to do something in local government.”

This diverse curriculum helped Coyle discover new career possibilities as well. One role she’s considering is probation officer. Given her education and her experience helping people overcome adversity, Coyle believes she can make a real difference in that position, or whatever else she chooses to pursue.

“The world is my oyster,” she said, “and I can take this degree and do whatever I want with it.”

A Culture of Support in an Online Environment

As an adult learner with a family and multiple jobs, Coyle wasn’t sure how she would balance everything in this new chapter of her life. But whenever things felt overwhelming, she knew she could turn to Emily, her student service representative, for support.

“Anytime I had any doubts, or if I was feeling apprehensive about any portion of school, I would email her, and she would call me and check in,” Coyle said.

Coyle would often talk to Emily about how her classes were going, ordering books, and other essentials, but a pep talk was never out of the question either.

“Sometimes, you just need somebody to tell you it’s going to be okay,” Coyle said. “In my case, Emily was that person.”

This support proved invaluable during Coyle’s last year at Wilson. During the spring semester, her mother, who had been in hospice care, passed away. Coyle herself was then hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia. Her beloved family dog died shortly after.

“How I made it through the absolute worst year of my life was by communicating,” Coyle said. “I talked to Emily, I talked to the dean of my program, and, most importantly, I talked to my professors. They were very understanding and supportive as I went through some very difficult times.”

Finishing Strong and Preparing for the Next Chapter

Despite the trials of her final year, Coyle graduated in May 2026 with the highest GPA of any student in the B.A. in Liberal Studies program. For this feat, she won the Estep-Lawson Memorial Prize at the 2026 Wilson College Academic Awards Ceremony.

“I’d never gotten an academic award,” Coyle said. “I was very humbled by it. I was so tickled. To be able to receive this award meant so much, not only for myself, but to show my kids, ‘Look what Mom did!’”

In the coming years, Coyle is hoping to have plenty of opportunities to repeat those words, whether it’s because she’s succeeding in a new job, accepting a promotion, or helping someone through a seemingly insurmountable struggle. Her hard work has gotten her here, but she credits her education and the people she met along the way with getting her over the finish line.

“I never felt alone and never felt unsupported at any portion of my time at Wilson,” she said. “That’s something I wasn’t expecting from online school.”

Take Your Next Step With Wilson College Online

The B.A. in Liberal Studies program at Wilson College Online empowers students to achieve their own unique goals. By mixing and matching classes that span disciplines such as communications, criminal justice, and environmental science, students learn technical and interpersonal skills they can use in virtually any sector.

Delivered in a flexible online format, this program is designed for career changers and new professionals alike. Wilson’s impassioned faculty and staff are there to help each student chart their course to success.

“If it wasn’t for the online option, I would have never gotten my degree. Never,” said Coyle.

To find out more about Wilson College Online’s curriculum, transfer credit policies, or anything else, reach out today.

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