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When Kelly Ellis’s husband, Tim, an Army captain, was injured in a blast at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Afghanistan, Ellis found herself taking on much more of the family responsibilities, in addition to her work as a second-grade teacher at a private Christian school near their home in Huntington, West Virginia.��

“Fortunately, I get to teach at the same school as my kids,” she said. “I knew that if I went back into the workforce, I needed to be with them.”

Soon, Ellis hopes to teach virtually from home, a goal that attracted her to the Masters of Distance and e-Learning program at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). She begins the program this fall thanks to the Pillars of Strength Scholarship, which covers tuition for caregivers of injured or ill military members or veterans.

“It’s a blessing to know that this will allow me to work and help my family,” she said. “I think our area and the whole world is changing so much in education, and I would love to be able to support people in that distance and e-learning community.”��

Given her passion for teaching and supporting her family, Ellis believes that the program is the right move.��

“It seems like a good fit, where I can still use the skills that I have in a different setting, and I think that’s important,” she said. “I think another reason why I’m excited for this opportunity is to show my kids that there’s not a perfect time to do something and it’s OK that even if life is a little crazy or you’ve got lots of excuses.”��

Ellis and her husband met in college while they were both in ROTC. When Tim was deployed to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where the two were reunited when Ellis did her student teaching.��

In Huntington, the family enjoys spending time outdoors, especially Tim.����

“He loves being outside, so if we can ever be outdoors, that is what we want to do, and keeping our four kids, ages 10, 9, 6 and 4, outside is always a benefit, too,” said Ellis.��

Today, Ellis’s biggest challenge is the feeling of being overwhelmed but, fortunately, local family is always willing to step in and help with the kids or with her husband.��

As she embarks on her degree program and the extra layer of responsibility, Ellis is optimistic. “In three or four years, I would love to be working, teaching and supporting the e-learning distance field,” she said.��

Beyond her career and commitment to her husband and children, Ellis would also like to engage with veteran communities. “I would love to be able to support more veterans in our area of West Virginia,” she said.������

To others like her who might be considering going back to school, Ellis’s advice is simple: “Just commit and take the risk.”��

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