California Connection
Union’s online options help Jennifer Hoggan ’22 live her dream
Jennifer Hoggan stands on the cool sand of Coronado Beach, waves crashing in the distance. She smiles at the camera, proudly holding what she’s dreamed of for 38 years — her diploma.
“It feels like a puzzle piece going into place,” she says.
Jennifer’s connection with Union began in the winter of 2017 when Jane Skidmore and her mother Jane Minton Blair happened to attend the Methodist church in Coronado, California, where Jennifer’s husband is a minister. Later, Union’s online options, affordability, and supportive community turned out to be just what Jennifer needed to make her dream come true.
In 1984, Jennifer began her studies at California State University, Long Beach. She was a student of Comparative Literature but was not able to complete her degree at that time. “I didn’t have my act together,” she says.
As time went on, Jennifer lived a full life as a mother, wife, volunteer, and employee of various jobs. Still, she “always felt that lack” regarding her education. When she filled out job applications or heard people talking about where they got their degree, she says she “felt a little bad inside” and was determined to complete her bachelor’s, too.
By 2019, Jennifer’s three children were nearly grown, and the time to focus on her studies had come.
“I put my family first for a long time, and that was good,” she says, “but as my kids became older and were leaving the nest, it became easier for me to think about going back to school and make it happen.”
Jennifer decided to pursue substance use counseling. She knew there was a great need, others saw her potential as a counselor, and she learned that in California, the path to licensure only required an undergraduate degree, rather than an additional master’s. She enrolled in San Diego Community College with a clear goal in sight.
Then, the pandemic happened. Like everyone, Jennifer experienced heavy emotions and massive changes in her day-to-day life. Her classes suddenly shifted to online. Her youngest son, who was in college himself, came home because his dorm closed. Her husband’s work was constantly in flux. “It was just a tough time for the whole country,” she remembers.
Still, Jennifer persevered. She realized that as an older student, she had developed life skills that helped her navigate this new world and succeed in an online environment. She completed her Associate of Science and Associate of Arts degrees in 2020, along with a certificate in Alcohol and Other Drug Studies.
Now she was ready for the next step. When Jennifer searched for “affordable online degrees in addiction counseling,” she was excited to see Union College come up second on the list. She was already familiar with Union’s welcoming community and solid track record. “It felt like things just kept falling into place,” she says.
The synchronicity began one Sunday in 2017. Like any other Sunday, Jennifer’s husband, the Rev. Robert Fuesler, asked his Coronado congregation if anyone was visiting from out of town. When Jennifer heard that two women were in from Kentucky, she made her way down the aisle to them during the passing of the peace. She welcomed them and explained that her daughter Abigail wanted to go to a college in Kentucky and that they would be visiting it soon.
The visitors asked which school, and Jennifer said it was a small one they had probably never heard of. When it turned out to be Union, Jane Skidmore remembers that she and her mother squealed. “I live across the street from Union!” Skidmore told Jennifer.
Skidmore has served on Union’s Board of Trustees for many years and is currently the Vice Chair. Her mother, Jane Minton Blair, has been called Union’s best ambassador and “The First Lady of Union” in recognition of her decades of service and generous philanthropic support.
The two mother-daughter pairs met up for coffee after the service, and Jennifer and Jane Skidmore struck up a friendship that has lasted to this day. Skidmore invited Jennifer and Abigail to stay with her when they visited Union that spring, and Jennifer accepted. She says “Jane’s absolutely gracious demeanor” won her over, and that she is grateful she got to spend time with Blair on that visit before she passed the following year.
“I believe we're soul sisters,” Skidmore says of Jennifer.
Though Abigail ended up going to a different school, Union’s charming campus and kind community remained fresh in Jennifer’s mind. Skidmore and Blair’s words of wisdom and encouragement stuck with her, and she was happy to find that the school they so dearly loved happened to be the perfect fit for her.
“I wanted a program that would be small enough where I would be known as an individual, that could work around my time constraints, that was affordable for my family budget, and obviously, that supported my professional goals. All those things were important to me, and I found them at Union,” Jennifer says.
She applied, was accepted, and was delighted to find that the same person who had “exhibited that legendary Southern graciousness” on her tour in 2017, Drew Horner, was now her admissions counselor. “It was a full-circle moment,” she says.
Drew’s friendly, helpful demeanor matched the rest of what Jennifer found at Union. Like all Union students, she was assigned an academic advisor to be her liaison and offer 1:1 support throughout her time at the school. The flexible class schedules met her needs, and she was impressed with the quality of the content. She notes that teaching online is an “art form” and that her professors excelled at it.
In December of 2022, Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science in substance abuse counseling from Union. “I’m part of the Bulldog family now. It feels really good,” she says.
Now, Jennifer has passed the licensure test to become an addictions counselor and just needs to accrue her supervised clinical hours. In the meantime, she’s using her education to serve her community. Jennifer volunteers to help those struggling with addiction and is also employed at a residential facility. “It feels good to give back,” she says.
While Jennifer is pleased with the work she’s doing, the biggest changes for her in getting this degree are more personal than professional. “Whenever we pursue a goal and conquer the obstacles that stand in the way of meeting that goal, then we have more confidence in ourselves,” Jennifer says. “I have some of that feeling.”
She notes that her friends and family members have been impacted by her accomplishment, too. “You know, to see me do this, they've been moved and inspired to do different things in their lives, too,” she says.
Jennifer also sees the spiritual side of making her dream come true.
“I believe, as a woman of faith, that we are all interconnected in ways that we don't even fathom. So, when any one of us lives up to more of our own potential, it sends ripples out in ways that we don't fully understand.”
Skidmore says Jennifer is a special person, “very deep thinking and intuitive,” and that she was thrilled when Jennifer told her about completing her bachelor’s degree. She knows Jennifer will be a great counselor, too. “She’ll be such a life changer for people,” Skidmore says.
Union College is committed to changing lives, one student at a time. The small faculty-to-student ratio means that each student receives an individualized education and the support needed to find their purpose and succeed. Union’s online programs are offered in convenient 8-week courses with multiple admission dates throughout the year.
To explore which program is right for you, see Online | Union College (unionky.edu), email gradonline@unionky.edu, or call 1-800-489-8646.
This article also appears in Union College Magazine, available here:
