Kristin Rux graduated from the Master of Education in Adult and Higher Education Program in 2021. Currently serving as a Learning Partner for an agency with the State of Oregon, she has also worked as a firefighter and EMT. 

What is your name and where are you from?

My name is Kristin Rux (she/her) and I am from Southern Oregon. 

What motivated you to pursue a Master’s in Adult & Higher Education? 

If you ask me what my passion is, I will answer Emergency Services. I have been a fire fighter since 2005, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) since 2011, and plan to volunteer in some capacity for the rest of my life. For the years of 2016-2022, I was working as a fire fighter and EMT for a combination volunteer and career fire department. Several times I was tasked with creating and providing education for members of the agency as well as the public.

After a few years, I noticed a lot of the trainings had become stale, repetitive, and unimaginative but I had no barometer for what a training for adults should be. I recognized there was a need for a quality educational experience for the staff, volunteers, and members of the public, so I researched educational degrees. I was drawn to the OSU Online Degree because I was able to work full time and pursue my degree. 

How do you use or plan to use this degree in your career?

Since earning my degree, I have been working as the Learning Partner for an agency with the State of Oregon. I love my position and honestly believe my degree gave me the tools and education I needed to be successful in my career. I create trainings for units throughout the agency, research educational experiences, give suggestions for improvement of current trainings, and track legislation for potential changes to policies which impact our agency. I still volunteer with a fire department and provide training for the fire fighters and EMT's in the area, leaning on the education I received.

Any advice to future students pursuing this degree? 

Do it. Education is never wasted. It might seem daunting to click the submit button (I hovered over it for nearly twenty minutes), but it will be well worth your time. The instructors care about you and will learn your name, you will become close with your cohort, and you will learn more than you thought possible about educating adults. With the small class sizes and manageable courses, it is more than possible to complete your degree while still working full time.