When Turkish local Nejla Gul-Saglam started her adventure in Laptop Programming at Sakarya College, in Turkey, again in 2007, she didn’t but understand how again and again her desires 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 one in all resilience, improve, and suppleness in her relentless pursuit to additional her training.
A Pastime for Instructing, Shifted
Nejla’s profession started in tech, however her middle had all the time been attracted to instructing. Influenced via her grandparents, she first pursued an affiliate level in pc programming and later enrolled in a bachelor’s level program with the hopes of turning into a instructor. Whilst pursuing her bachelor’s, she started to satisfy her dream via instructing at a nonprofit group in Istanbul. Alternatively, she knew that to be able to transfer ahead, she had to entire her level.
Amidst the beginning of her revel in as a instructor, and in a while after marrying her husband, Nejla discovered she used to be pregnant, quickly hanging her desires on hang. Her husband’s paintings required him to transport between the USA and Turkey, a state of affairs that may best develop into tougher with a new child within the image. So, with simply 3 categories ultimate in her bachelor’s level program, her lifestyles started to shift.
Beginning Over, One Direction at a Time
“Once we arrived within the U.S., I used to be mindful that it used to be no longer gonna be simple to realize acceptance, particularly as a lady who used to be coming from a unconditionally other tradition,” Nejla remembers. “However I by no means stopped believing. It has all the time been my dream to review in another country, revel in world-class training, discover new cultures, and construct bridges between other cultures.”
Decided to conform and thrive, Nejla came upon new studying alternatives on Coursera. “I used to be taking a look to discover a position the place I may just upload significant worth, in spite of my English talents being very elementary.” With this purpose in thoughts, Nejla delicate her English talents on Coursera, all whilst taking categories in industry and pc science, too. “I signed up for a large number of categories—possibly greater than 200!” she recounts.
What began as an effort to toughen her English temporarily developed right into a deep dive again into the tech international, the place her training at first started. She took classes in device building, 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 tricky. Nejla says, “I best had 3 classes left prior to 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 in class turned 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 profession and helped her to land extra senior roles in generation.
“I used to be decided to conquer biases and grow to be my variations right into a power for management. I’ve all the time truly cared about the ones round me and feature been pushed via a need to assist in making the arena a greater position. My securing a decent activity in New York Town and proving that good fortune is conceivable even with out being a local English speaker or having studied within the U.S. impressed many ladies in our neighborhood to begin to imagine in their very own possible, too.”
A Turning Level: ChatGPT and a New Trail Ahead
In spite of her exhausting paintings with on-line certificate and sleepless nights learning over 20 managerial books she had ordered for impartial find out about, Nejla used to be feeling hopeless in her pursuit of attaining some extent. Along with her bachelor’s nonetheless incomplete and her transcripts apparently stalled out, she started to query whether or not college used to be nonetheless a practical choice. She then requested ChatGPT a pivotal query: “Is there a school that provides a grasp’s level with out 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 thing modified. Nejla submitted an inquiry and used to be contacted via Coursera enrollment consultant, Carolyn.
“I used to be at the verge of tears,” Nejla says. “Carolyn used to be fantastic—she known my deep dedication to training and private enlargement. She inspired me, announcing, ‘Nejla, you’ll 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 Finding out
Along with her supervisor’s complete improve, 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 undertaking control with most sensible grades.
Even higher, with route stackability, Nejla used to be ready to improve one of the most coursework she’d been doing on Coursera for credit score towards her level as soon as she enrolled. After years of fight, Nejla used to be elated to be informed this used to be an choice and in the end had her exhausting paintings repay.
“It used to be precisely what I were searching for — a versatile program that permit me transfer at my very own tempo. I used to be already coming from the center 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 improve, and simply stored shifting ahead.”
Nejla notes that one in all her favourite facets of this system used to be its self-paced structure and versatility. “It aligned completely with my productive morning routines and my demanding agenda 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 12 months, she has been accredited 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 looks like I’m in the end being noticed. I’ve come far, and I’m happy with the adventure I’ve taken. I’ll stay running exhausting to make those that stood via me witness but some other milestone alongside the way in which.”
Gratitude and Inspiration
“I do know I couldn’t have executed this on my own,” she says. “I’ll all the time be glad about the individuals who stood via me via all of it. This can be my tale, however their improve is woven into each and every a part of it. They’ve each and every been a treasured a part of my adventure as guiding lighting alongside the way in which.”
Nejla’s tale is an inspirational one, to mention the least, and paints a transparent image that with decision, improve, and the versatility of on-line studying, any non-public purpose may also be completed.
A Be aware of Thank you, from Nejla
Nejla credit her good fortune to a mixture of unwavering inside force, the alternatives presented via on-line studying, and the fantastic improve of key folks in her lifestyles. Her husband Kemal stood via her as a real spouse, taking over homemaking so she may just center of attention on her targets. Zeynep, her daughter, confirmed outstanding persistence, status via her each and every step of the way in which as she proved herself. She would all the time be offering encouragement that made the entire distinction. Her mentor, Mike, used to be the primary individual to in point of fact imagine in her possible when she arrived within the U.S. He presented unwavering improve, offering treasured ideas on find out how to create a wholesome work-life steadiness whilst growing a management adventure. Her supervisor Eric used to be very supportive with diligently following up on the entire back-and-forth emails to make sure her tuition improve used to be authorized and processed. Past that, he created a supportive area that allowed her to steadiness category duties with out burning out at paintings. And Carolyn, from the Coursera enrollment staff, no longer best presented her to this system but additionally responded each and every one in all her many questions with kindness and care.
