PBS CAMPUS | Success Stories

JERAMAYA NYBERG
Distance learner moves from homelessness to hope

When Jeramaya Nyberg struggled to find work as an Oregon high school dropout, he initially set out to earn a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) just so he could join the Army. Because he progressed so quickly, though, he completed extra work and earned an actual high school diploma.

But the payoff from his hard work seemed to fizzle when the Army gave him a medical discharge for knee and hip problems. Education had yet to prove its value.

"From there I floated around Oregon again for some time," Nyberg says. "Again I felt lost and unsure what the future would hold. Times got rough and I found paying rent for my studio apartment in Eugene to be a bit too much of a strain on my limited income."

He jammed as many part-time jobs as he could into his waking hours. "I still felt as if I was not going anywhere in life, and I had grown stagnant," he says. Nyberg returned to northeast Oregon "yearning for the breath of home," but soon became homeless.

"Somewhere in my messed up story I also picked up a rather nasty case of depression and social anxiety, not to mention the insomnia and sleep apnea," he says. "Life was a mess and I had grown to accept the dreary reality of things."

Turning a corner

But the reality of things has a way of changing, especially when someone extends a hand to help another.

"My stepfather, a caring individual and a great father, Vietnam Vet and concerned parent, helped me to begin my education by registering me as a dependent and thus granting me a monthly government check," Nyberg recalls. "From there I picked up some help from [financial aid] and a student scholarship."

And so Nyberg began his educational journey at Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC). He adds that it took him a while to realize he was doing something with his life — and could finally breathe again.

"I will be graduating with my Associates of Arts soon and I have finally found a dream," he says.

The lesson of the power of education left a profound stamp on Nyberg, who is now no longer satisfied being on the receiving end of the learning process.

"I will continue on to become a teacher myself," Nyberg says. "School means more to me than just a free paycheck or a well-paying future career. It has helped me get back on my feet, find confidence and value in myself and dare to hold a dream worth following. Sappy, I know, but only because it is the truth."

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Enter distance education

While Nyberg primarily attended face-to-face classes at BMCC, he found that distance education enhanced his school experience.

"I find that these distance classes allow me to slow down, take things at my own pace and absorb more," he says. "I learn well in both settings, but this is far less stressful and accomplishes the same end results."

A philosophy class became Nyberg's favorite telecourse. "Not only was I interested in the subject, but the course syllabus was clear and easy to understand," he says. "The instructor gave great feedback and was highly supportive. I was not in a class full of students, but instead I was at home sprawled on my couch reading the text and pondering the meaning of life. I loved it."

He urges distance learners to stay on top of their work and keep to the planned schedule. "It is very easy to fall behind in one of these classes if you take it at your own pace and that pace is a snail's," he adds.

More than an adult learner

Nyberg's hobbies and love of music and drama reveal a lively imagination. Others have told him that he has a "fairly adept drawing hand and a highly creative mind," and he wants to write a good novel someday.

"I am an avid fan of role-playing games and have been an active game master of many [sorts] for many years," he says. "I find the ability to create a story is both relaxing and good practice for my artistic flair."

Role-playing games have proved therapeutic for him as well. "Role-playing has also kept me grounded in reality, in that it allows me to be social and acts as a release for my day-to-day stresses," he notes.

Once Nyberg earns his bachelor's degree, he will have a chance to apply that same creativity to the world of education, which he has found to be his greatest hope.

Article written by Greg Rosenthal

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