Marisol Nava Begins Her Next Journey

It was an ordinary morning for Marisol Nava, of Mount Arlington, New Jersey. She was working as a lead preschool teacher the day a behavioral specialist paid a visit to her classroom to observe a student and in the process saw the special connection that Nava had with the children in her care. The specialist immediately recognized Nava’s talent and encouraged her to continue her education and reach her full professional potential. She recommended Excelsior University (then College), and that is when, Nava says, her journey started.

Nava enrolled in Excelsior in 2020 knowing that a degree could be her “cornerstone to succeed” and that without one, she would have a challenging time advancing her career in child development. She had been searching for the right path to a degree since immigrating from Peru in 2012 but found that other colleges wouldn’t accept all the credits she had earned in her home country. Not having her credits accepted was frustrating, as was the requirement to pass an English as a second language (ESL) program despite having studied and spoken English for years.

Excelsior was not her only college experience, but after her first supportive conversation with an admissions counselor, she knew it would be her best and was excited to be able to start courses right away. Resources such as the online writing lab, tutoring service, the library, and the helpfulness of Excelsior instructors and staff removed many of the challenges of going back to school as an adult student. And Excelsior accepted and applied the 94 credits she had earned from other sources, including Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Passaic County Community College, and Sophia Learning, to the bachelor’s degree program she selected.

In her community, Nava says, it is expected that the second or third generation will be the ones to succeed. But first-generation Americans like herself have dreams of their own, and Nava believes it’s just as important for them—and beneficial for the generations that come after—to pursue their goals with equal expectation for success.

Nava graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts in July 2022 and is glad that she made the decision to jump right into her education without overthinking it. She’d give similar advice to other students like her. “When we are adults, we don’t have the right time for starting new things. … The right moment doesn’t exist because we have a lot on our shoulders, but we have to believe that it’s never too late. It’s important to set a good example for our children and to build a better path for future generations,” Nava says. “Continuing to learn is not a choice; it’s something that you have to do in order to have success.”

Nava has gone on to earn a master’s degree in child development and early intervention, a goal she says would not have been possible without her bachelor’s degree from Excelsior. Her achievements have inspired her oldest daughter to apply to Excelsior for a second career in psychology. “We are confident that Excelsior will open new paths for her and help her achieve her goal of becoming a mental health counselor,” says Nava. “We will always be Excelsior proud.”