When Turkish local Nejla Gul-Saglam started her adventure in Pc Programming at Sakarya College, in Turkey, again in 2007, she didn’t but know the way repeatedly her goals would evolve—and be examined. Lately, as a full-time engineering control skilled, mom, and proud 2025 graduate of the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from CU Boulder, Nejla’s tale is considered one of resilience, enhance, and suppleness in her relentless pursuit to additional her training.
A Pastime for Instructing, Shifted
Nejla’s occupation started in tech, however her middle had all the time been interested in instructing. Influenced by means of her grandparents, she first pursued an affiliate level in laptop programming and later enrolled in a bachelor’s level program with the hopes of turning into a trainer. Whilst pursuing her bachelor’s, she started to satisfy her dream by means of instructing at a nonprofit group in Istanbul. Alternatively, she knew that so as to transfer ahead, she had to entire her level.
Amidst the beginning of her revel in as a trainer, and in a while after marrying her husband, Nejla discovered she used to be pregnant, quickly hanging her goals on dangle. Her husband’s paintings required him to transport between the USA and Turkey, a scenario that may handiest grow to be tougher with a new child within the image. So, with simply 3 categories final in her bachelor’s level program, her lifestyles started to shift.
Beginning Over, One Route at a Time
“Once we arrived within the U.S., I used to be conscious that it used to be no longer gonna be simple to achieve acceptance, particularly as a lady who used to be coming from a wholly other tradition,” Nejla remembers. “However I by no means stopped believing. It has all the time been my dream to check out of the country, revel in world-class training, discover new cultures, and construct bridges between other cultures.”
Made up our minds to evolve and thrive, Nejla came upon new studying alternatives on Coursera. “I used to be having a look to discover a position the place I may just upload significant price, in spite of my English abilities being very fundamental.” With this purpose in thoughts, Nejla delicate her English abilities on Coursera, all whilst taking categories in industry and laptop science, too. “I signed up for numerous categories—perhaps greater than 200!” she recounts.
What began as an effort to support her English briefly developed right into a deep dive again into the tech global, the place her training at the beginning started. She took classes in tool construction, AI, product development, project management, and communication, together with certifications from organizations like IBM, Google.
Alternatively, financial obstacles and a nonetheless incomplete bachelor’s level made formal training tough. Nejla says, “I handiest had 3 classes left earlier than we needed to transfer to the USA.” Moreover, because of demanding situations that she confronted in looking forward to her transcripts to be despatched from Turkey, re-enrolling at school changed into a good larger hurdle. Whilst she waited, she finished over 40 certificates systems via Coursera Plus and different on-line platforms — an effort that considerably boosted her occupation and helped her to land extra senior roles in generation.
“I used to be decided to conquer biases and turn out to be my variations right into a energy for management. I’ve all the time in fact cared about the ones round me and feature been pushed by means of a need to assist in making the sector a greater position. My securing a good process in New York Town and proving that luck is imaginable even with out being a local English speaker or having studied within the U.S. impressed many ladies in our group to begin to consider in their very own possible, too.”
A Turning Level: ChatGPT and a New Trail Ahead
Regardless of her laborious paintings with on-line certificate and sleepless nights finding out over 20 managerial books she had ordered for impartial learn about, Nejla used to be feeling hopeless in her pursuit of accomplishing some extent. Along with her bachelor’s nonetheless incomplete and her transcripts reputedly stalled out, she started to query whether or not college used to be nonetheless a sensible choice. She then requested ChatGPT a pivotal query: “Is there a school that provides a grasp’s level and not using a bachelor’s?”
That seek led her to the College of Colorado Boulder’s Master of Engineering in Engineering Management, and its Performance-Based Admissions (PBA) pathway. This used to be the instant the whole lot modified. Nejla submitted an inquiry and used to be contacted by means of Coursera enrollment consultant, Carolyn.
“I used to be at the verge of tears,” Nejla says. “Carolyn used to be unbelievable—she known my deep dedication to training and private enlargement. She inspired me, announcing, ‘Nejla, you’ll be able to do that.’ She believed in me as a result of she may just see the adventure I had taken via Coursera historical past and different exterior training.“
Leveling Up Her Studying
Along with her supervisor’s complete enhance, Nejla started the performance-based coursework that may resolve her eligibility for the grasp’s program. She excelled, finishing a couple of specializations in management and venture control with best grades.
Even higher, with path stackability, Nejla used to be in a position to improve one of the crucial coursework she’d been doing on Coursera for credit score towards her level as soon as she enrolled. After years of battle, Nejla used to be elated to be told this used to be an choice and in spite of everything had her laborious paintings repay.
“It used to be precisely what I were searching for — a versatile program that allow me transfer at my very own tempo. I used to be already coming from the guts of the tech business with confirmed revel in, and I had finished prestigious certificates systems. I controlled the prices step-by-step, partnered with my employer for enhance, and simply saved transferring ahead.”
Nejla notes that considered one of her favourite sides of this system used to be its self-paced structure and versatility. “It aligned completely with my productive morning routines and my irritating time table as a company skilled and a mother.”
A Proud Graduate
As a 2025 graduate of this system, Nejla’s studying adventure has a ways from stopped. This yr, she has been authorised right into a doctoral program in Strategic Management at Liberty College.
“It is a large milestone for me. Now, with a degree known within the U.S., it appears like I’m in spite of everything being observed. I’ve come some distance, and I’m happy with the adventure I’ve taken. I’ll stay operating laborious to make those that stood by means of me witness but some other milestone alongside the best way.”
Gratitude and Inspiration
“I do know I couldn’t have accomplished this on my own,” she says. “I’ll all the time be grateful for the individuals who stood by means of me via all of it. This can be my tale, however their enhance is woven into each and every a part of it. They’ve each and every been a precious a part of my adventure as guiding lighting fixtures alongside the best way.”
Nejla’s tale is an inspirational one, to mention the least, and paints a transparent image that with decision, enhance, and the versatility of on-line studying, any private purpose may also be accomplished.
A Be aware of Thank you, from Nejla
Nejla credit her luck to a mixture of unwavering inside power, the alternatives introduced by means of on-line studying, and the unbelievable enhance of key other people in her lifestyles. Her husband Kemal stood by means of her as a real spouse, taking up homemaking so she may just center of attention on her objectives. Zeynep, her daughter, confirmed exceptional persistence, status by means of her each and every step of the best way as she proved herself. She would all the time be offering encouragement that made all of the distinction. Her mentor, Mike, used to be the primary particular person to really consider in her possible when she arrived within the U.S. He introduced unwavering enhance, offering precious tips on the right way to create a wholesome work-life stability whilst creating a management adventure. Her supervisor Eric used to be very supportive with diligently following up on all of the back-and-forth emails to make sure her tuition enhance used to be authorized and processed. Past that, he created a supportive house that allowed her to stability category obligations with out burning out at paintings. And Carolyn, from the Coursera enrollment workforce, no longer handiest offered her to this system but in addition responded each and every considered one of her many questions with kindness and care.
