Natalie Goldberg graduated from USAO Fall of 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, in addition to the Associate's degree in interdisciplinary sciences she received from Cameron University.

“I loved my time at USAO,” said Goldberg. “I attended several other schools and none of them could compare to the great professors and level of education I received at USAO.”

Goldberg now works as a retail store manager and is proud to teach others to be leaders and grow in their current careers the way her USAO professors did.

“My sociology professor always pushed me to do my best,” said Goldberg. “If I turned in a presentation that he felt I could have done better on, he would tell me to come back next class with a better presentation. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking.”

Goldberg’s career is built on public speaking as she engages with her customers and employees every day.  Goldberg says her classes and professors encouraged her to face this fear and increased her confidence.

Goldberg tackled more than her fears while working on her degree. She was also a single parent to her two children Jordan and Jada and helped take care of her ill mother.

“It was a tough time, but I learned how strong I am, and my children got to see an example of how to be strong in hard times. My mom fought cancer for 14 years and I was able to take care of her the whole time because I had a great job that allowed me to take off when I needed. My education from USAO definitely helped gain confidence which helped me get a great job.”

Goldberg’s mother as well as her grandmother also attended classes at USAO.

“I consider myself a 3rd generation student,” said Goldberg. “We were lucky to have been fortunate to attend such a wonderful school.”