Honoring the WGU grads we admire.
WGU grads apply their hard-earned knowledge and skills to do great things in their communities. The amazing women featured on this page provide shining examples of the impact Night Owls make—creating new, wonderful opportunities for themselves and others.
WGU has partnered with Tegna, the nationally-acclaimed broadcast and digital media company, to celebrate Night Owls making significant impacts in their communities. WGU grads—including the extraordinary individuals featured on this page—apply their hard-earned knowledge and skills to do great things, creating wonderful opportunities for themselves and others.
Join them!
All WGU students and grads are extraordinary. Most of them are busy, midcareer adults who made the bold decision to go back to school while juggling work, families, and other important responsibilities.
WGU recognizes what makes Night Owls special and provides competitive scholarship opportunities to remove obstacles on the way to graduation.
Molly Helmuth
Molly Helmuth went from race car driver to small business owner thanks to the flexible education she received at WGU.
"My schedule when I was racing was, I was waking up and working out and eating healthy and going to the shop and sending out merchandise packages to my fans. With my busy racing schedule I was really needing that flexibility that WGU gave me, to be able to open my computer at any point, at any given day, and study. The college was sitting right in front of me."
Madhuri Vegaraju
Madhuri Vegaraju became the first woman software architect at her company after graduating from WGU.
"If I think about the two, two and a half years that I worked on it, the hardest part was that clicking on that 'Apply Now' button. After I hit that 'Apply Now,' I think everything went well. There was nothing that stopped me from there."
Denisha Saucedo
Teacher, coach, and role model Denisha Saucedo got her master's degree from WGU.
"Every day, I hear 'I can’t,' and I say: 'You can.' So I did my master’s in education and technology integration. WGU was the one that allowed me to still continue everything else that I do. Really, it was that program that allowed me the opportunity to still be a mom, a wife, a teacher, a coach."
More successful women share their stories.
Believe in yourself.
“I would say as a non-traditional student, you’ve got to find your small victories, and you’ve got to just really believe in your purpose. You work for your purpose, your purpose always works for you.”
Country music singer/songwriter Angie Keilhauer earned her bachelor's degree in marketing management at WGU and learned to manage her own brand.
Use your passion.
"There is nothing more exhilarating than being able to set a goal for yourself. And realize that you have successfully completed it."
Julie Young shares her story about how she overcame her own disability and found her passion to help her non-typical students.
Be a trailblazer.
“I am often the only women in a room, in a class, in any setting. It can be difficult to be seen or heard when you're just one woman in a room of hundreds of men.”
Sarah Merritt is the Air Force's only active-duty female cyber warfare instructor, setting a strong example and motivating other women to enter cybersecurity professions.
Embody grit.
"It’s important to me to be able to make it the best place I can make it for the next generation. No two days are the same, and that’s a pretty exciting thing."
Dana Ralph wears a lot of hats—she's the Mayor of Kent, Washington, a business owner, a cancer survivor, a wife and mother, and a three-time WGU grad.
Lead the way.
"If we don't keep women in the technology field, we are going to miss out on how women interpret how to solve problems."
Cybersecurity professional Kara Greer operates digital platforms for customers and also volunteers her time teaching education classes for aspiring women college students in the STEM category.
Follow your gut.
"Nursing is an amazing field. You can name your ticket... You have an amazing opportunity. Use it."
When veteran nurse Kristine Perry was called out to help an unconscious man who was slumped over the wheel of his car, the ensuing fight for his life taught her a lesson she’d never forget.
Learn more about WGU's degrees.
All of our degree programs are carefully chosen with success in mind. Our special model of online learning is designed for the working adult, and our commitment to keep costs down means the dreams of our graduates are within reach.
