For many adults, pursuing a degree feels impossible. Between work, family responsibilities, and financial stress, it may not seem like there’s any way to find the time and money that it takes to earn a degree, no matter how much it will open up future possibilities. But for Tamika Thompson – a busy mom and business owner – the opportunity to fit a degree around her full life is opening doors for the future. Grace offers online degrees for busy moms, opening up the possibilities to serve God and others through higher education. Enjoy Tamika’s story!
Online Degrees for Busy Moms – How Grace is Impacting Tamika’s Life
Tamika Thompson was kind enough to answer a number of questions for us about her time at Grace. Join us for this interview to hear about how God is using Grace to impact Tamika’s life, and in turn, the lives of so many people around her.
We hope you are encouraged by these answers and by Tamika’s story.
“When do you plan to complete your degree?”
“I plan to complete my degree program in Spring 2024.”
“What degree are you pursuing at Grace?”
“Tending to the needs of others brings the greatest joy to my life besides loving and serving Jesus and my family. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services.”
“What other commitments do you currently have outside of school?”
“My days are extremely busy, and until recently, I remained awake throughout much of the night to complete homework, create products for my small Christian business, and tend to my family and personal health after managing daily responsibilities.
I have three young adults who learn from home; two high schoolers and one college student. One of my children struggles with severe anxiety and has been working through a learning disability for some time. Another child is currently overcoming trauma-related burnout.
The desire to share the best version of myself with my family and God’s people will bring the most honor to God. Stewarding what the Father has given me with a spirit of excellence is one of the deepest longings of my heart.
Satan deceives the Lord’s people into believing that we are victorious when we serve from a place of fatigue and burnout. The truth is that Christ didn’t give himself up for us to meet the needs of the church body (and those who will come to him) from a place of cyclic exhaustion. Avoiding the trap of pouring from an almost empty cup has compelled me to pray and work towards developing a more balanced life. “
Serving children and families
“I previously worked at a daycare and have had a number of employment opportunities that involved serving people or children in one form or another. I adored the children at the daycare facility, but the political agendas did not align with my values and I was grieved by the environment daily.
God enabled me to transition into a role as a loving nanny to Christian families following time away from work at the daycare. Being a mom is the toughest and one of the most rewarding jobs on earth. I was appointed by God to help special Christian moms raise their amazing kids as a stand-in mom who understands what it means to rear godly children in the trenches of motherhood.”
Overcoming physical disabilities
“I have physical disabilities and brain injury due to being improperly diagnosed for more than two decades. This made life difficult, forcing me to resign from college in the early 2000s with a mere two semesters to complete to earn my college degree. This was one of the most painful trials of my existence.
Grace Christian University has provided an avenue of redemption for me academically; to retrieve my dream from the hands of the enemy through the power of Christ, to finally earn my college degree.
In spite of physical ailments, in addition to the other commitments that I have besides school, work, and family, I am also a certified Christian image consultant and a Christian model for positive brands on social media.
Through my background in fashion, I use social media to display the beauty of Christ through faith and fashion posts online. I had no intention of becoming a model, but the Lord called me to this ministry in a dark industry to teach girls and women that they can keep all of their clothing on, express their creativity, and wear holiness as garments.”
“How has the flexibility of Grace’s online programs benefited you during this time?”
“As a busy mom who wears many hats and manages a physical health condition, online education has been a tremendous gift. I can assist my students with learning and work, and receive proper medical treatment as needed. There is access to class materials day or night. Grace Christian University has enabled me to learn and work toward completing a degree program without the added stress of commuting to campus or sitting inside of a classroom at a designated time. Instead, I can support my children academically, financially, and continue to recover from long-term medical issues.”
“How has God used your time at Grace to grow your faith?”
“Grace has challenged me to examine myself as a student and believer. I am working to heal from several diseases, two of those being brain and body diseases. It takes double the amount of time and work for me to keep up with reading material and assignments than the average student.
Prior to beginning my journey at Grace, and even during my time here as a student, there was great concern that I might not be able to become an honor student or earn the types of grades that I wanted to in my classes because of my disability and full schedule.
Becoming a student at Grace meant choosing to live by faith one assignment, paper, and project at a time. My academic advisor and several of my professors have been some of my biggest cheerleaders, praying for me and my family as I work through my classes through faith and grace each week as a student in their virtual classrooms.
The curriculum has motivated me to continue to allow God to strengthen and build my character, even if the maturation process causes discomfort.”
“What are your goals for the future?”
“It is my prayer that the desires of my heart will be the goals that God has planned for my life.
I am hopeful that I can develop Christ-centered entrepreneurial programs for destitute teen girls and women in the United States and abroad to teach them how to develop and operate small businesses that can create generational abundance through useful services in their communities.
Through my certification as a Christian image consultant, I would like to renovate a bus and use it as a mobile beauty salon and boutique to provide free styling services to women in shelters who need new garments and makeovers to prepare for job interviews. By partnering with local organizations, these ladies can update their resumes, sharpen interview skills, and receive financial literacy training. The objective is to help women rise above poverty.
Finally, one of my life verses comes from Ecclesiastes 3:11: “He has made all things beautiful in its time…”
I hope to become a Christian author to encourage girls and women that they are beautiful, cherished by God, and eternally loved by the King. Any additional ways the Lord chooses to use me in the future would be an absolute honor.”
Learn more about Tamika
If you’d like to connect or follow along with Tamika, you can find her on Instagram at @princessdressstore and @ladytamikastylist , or on her websites, www.princessdressstore.com and www.ladytamikastylist.com. You can also read more about her medical journey at https://warriorwomenic.com/sister-blog/f/warrior-woman-tamika.
Online Degrees for Busy Moms – Will You Be Next?
At Grace, we are dedicated to graduating courageous ambassadors who make an eternal impact wherever they go. For busy moms, pursuing an online degree can seem overwhelming. But at Grace, we’re dedicated to working with you to open up the possibilities for you to serve Christ in even greater ways through your degree.
Our 100% online degrees offer small class sizes, affordability, flexibility, and so much more. Read about more of the benefits of online learning at Grace, or request more info today!
