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Maryna Zhoholieva, (M.A.) Instructional Technology

As the adage goes, Maryna Zhoholieva isn’t new to this as evidenced by earning her third degree this spring.

Zhoholieva grew up in Dnipro, Ukraine, in what she described as a “vibrant metropolis” that runs along its namesake river. Before she and her husband settled in the pines of Galloway in 2018, she co-founded a private language studio with a team of several educators who hosted English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs for hundreds of adult learners.

However, she quickly learned that “careers don’t pack as neatly into a suitcase as clothes,” leading her to search for a second master’s program.

“91��Ƶ������վ (University) stood out,” Zhoholieva said, admitting that “instructional technology” wasn’t top-of-mind during her search. However, it combined the fields she was most interested in: teaching, psychology and technology. “Plus, 91��Ƶ������վ’s program was incredibly student-friendly and ideal for adult learners juggling multiple life commitments. Believe me, I searched high and low – this one was the gold standard.”

Throughout her time at 91��Ƶ������վ, she maintained a 4.0 GPA in the Master's of Instructional Technology program, and the work that she produced in her courses was routinely used as a model for other students. Described by Kim Dickerson, interim dean for the School of Education, as a “tool maven,” Zhoholieva was always ready to locate cutting-edge resources and tools to support instructional design, as demonstrated by her and a 91��Ƶ������վ professor being co-awarded a grant to obtain faculty resources through 91��Ƶ������վ’s Center for Teaching & Learning Design.

She also leaned on her mentor and graduate advisor, Associate Professor of Instructional Technology Amy Ackerman, whom she fondly called her “North Star.”

“Under Dr. Ackerman’s guidance, I was constantly encouraged to push boundaries, to dig deeper and to explore new ways to motivate learners, spark their intrinsic curiosity and expand their own sense of what’s possible – all from behind a computer screen,” Zhoholieva said. “This experience made me a true believer in the power of online learning to cross borders and touch hearts, even when learners keep their cameras off.”

When she wasn’t running (“It turned out to be the perfect time to listen to podcasts and brainstorm creative ideas”), Zhoholieva was putting in the work to make her degree work for her future aspirations. This hard work earned Zhoholieva her dream job as an instructional designer and elearning developer before she even walked across the stage.

“I now collaborate with a talented team to create interactive modules, live virtual presentations and self-paced microlearning series using tools like Articulate Storyline, 7taps and the Adobe Suite,” Zhoholieva said.

Unfortunately, Zhoholieva’s journey didn’t always have blue skies. The war in Ukraine began during the second semester of her program, and her “world flipped overnight.” 

“I cannot compare my distress to what my family, friends and former colleagues experienced back home: some continued teaching ESL online through air raid sirens, trying to offer students a shred of normalcy. But here, even opening my phone each morning to face the daily news from home felt blood-curdling,” Zhoholieva said.

“It truly put my degree at risk for a variety of reasons, but I was able to wade through the experience only thanks to the support both from 91��Ƶ������վ and my preceptor, Dr. Ackerman,” Zhoholieva continued. “The scholarships that I have been fortunate to receive and my graduate assistantship position have made my degree possible. Without them, this would be a dream put on hold.”

Despite this, Zhoholieva persevered and channeled her energy into her capstone project, which explores how she could encourage empathy and acceptance by combining the fields of study that brought her to 91��Ƶ������վ in the first place.

“At the heart of the project is the use of technology to create emotionally resonant online simulations that place learners in the shoes of those often excluded, overlooked or underrepresented,” Zhoholieva said. “Thanks to modern digital learning and development platforms, we can now recreate real-life scenarios and engaging interactions that, until recently, were only possible face-to-face. On a bigger scale, and probably quite optimistically, I do hope modern technology will contribute to making the world a kinder place.”

As she reflects on her journey, Zhoholieva will miss not just the beauty of the campus but also the unique individuals who shaped her community during her time here.

“This degree is more than a credential: it’s the culmination of a four-year journey I never imagined taking,” Zhoholieva said. “Just a year before it began, I couldn’t have pictured myself pivoting to a new profession, starting from scratch in my early 40s, in a country where I knew no one outside my immediate family. What began as a curiosity about a job title I had to Google is now my everyday reality… and I still occasionally pinch myself to make sure it’s real.”