Dede deLaughter started the Master of Adult Education online program with high expectations and was not let down. She was already involved in the world of Adult Education, as a staff member at University of North Georgia. She has a passion for adult learners, saying, “ I just found in work with adult learners that I wanted a better ground of knowledge to serve adult learners.”

She chose UGA Online because of the reputation of the College of Education. “Not just because of reputation, though, but also because of the quality of the instructors and their commitment to the students and their lives. It’s very hands on, even though it is online.” She was fortunate enough to live close to UGA and was able to meet some of her online instructors face to face.

deLaughter came in ready to learn saying “I went into it knowing that most evenings and weekends would be blocked off for school work. And I knew it was a temporary thing.“  She knew it would be different from talking face to face classes, but adapted well. She said
“Asynchronous does take getting used to. My cohort was not shy about asking questions. It might take a few hours but people would jump in the discussion board. Learning online was a new thing for me. I did my undergrad a long time ago and online learning was not in existence. I was able to import some of the important things I learned about online learning into my own teaching.“ When asked what motivated her to earn her degree deLaughter said  “I went into it trying to get better at what I was currently doing. I wanted to be taken seriously in conversations between faculty and staff. “

The program led to many forms of success. She was promoted in her department as director. “I was able to earn the job as the new director because of my masters degree and the amount of direct application of the coursework to what I was doing.“ 

One of her most recent accomplishments was many years in the making. She wrote a novel in 2001 called Reawakening Rebekah: The Gift of the CLAMOR Girls. After a decade of trying to get it published, deLaughter’s book was finally published November 2013. She has been attending readings and book signings of her new book, and is currently writing the stage play version.

For more information on deLaughter’s book, visit the Reawakening Rebekah: The Gift of the CLAMOR Girls website