‘We were each other’s driving force’

How Purdue Global graduates and married couple Rebecca and Caleb Ortiz earned their degrees and a strong purpose

When Rebecca (BS human services ’23, Purdue Global) and Caleb Ortiz (BS human services ’23, Purdue Global) concluded that they’d both need degrees to move forward with their careers, they decided on Purdue Global, and they jumped in with both feet.  

Both of them. Together. At the same time.  

Crazy? Maybe. Their family life isn’t exactly quiet — they both have full-time jobs, and their five kids are all tweens and teens whose activities range from riding bikes to learning to drive cars. But the way they tell their story, it wasn’t so much a choice they made despite the scheduling challenges. It was because of those challenges. 

 “We knew college wasn’t going to be easy, especially with everything we have going on — I was coaching wrestling and football, she was working after hours; we’ve got to divide and conquer, going every which direction with the kids,” says Caleb. “So we really just wanted to be a support for each other.” 

Sometimes that support was just good, old-fashioned competition. And whether it’s cheering on football teams or facing off for better grades, a little competition made the journey fun. 

“(We competed) especially when we were in the exact same class. We’d try to one-up each other, who got the better score on a test or who got more replies on the discussion boards,” she says, both of them laughing.

But it was all for a common goal. Caleb says their careers intersected at a critical moment. 

He was a self-employed massage therapist with an associate degree in management, so when he was finally forced to address chronic pain he’d been experiencing in his wrist and hands, their livelihood was threatened. Of course, it posed a threat to their immediate income, but the long-term outlook worried him even more. So he looked to his wife. Her work had always inspired him. 

Rebecca, whose background is in early childhood education, had an associate degree and was working for Child Protective Services. She loved feeling like she was making a difference in the world. Caleb wanted that, too. 

“I applied for a job with Child Protective Services in 2022, but I didn’t get it because I was considered underqualified,” he says.  

Combined with Rebecca’s drive to grow in her role, they knew it was time to take the leap, together. They decided to earn their bachelor’s degrees in human services from Purdue Global. 

And it was the best choice they could have made. 

An online education that honors experience — no matter where it comes from 

Among the schools they considered, Purdue Global quickly rose to the top when they realized how much credit they’d be able to start with. 

“The big selling point was the credits we were able to transfer over from our previous schools,” Rebecca says.  

Transferable credit was one of the things that made the Ortizes feel like this was an online university truly built for people like them. Purdue Global’s average bachelor’s degree graduate saves 50% on tuition with credit for prior learning. Work experience can even be honored as academic credit when students submit a prior learning portfolio through a portfolio development course. Those who submit portfolios save an average of $11,000. 

Life’s not easy. There are going to be challenges. But we’ve shown our kids they can make it through no matter what.

Caleb Ortiz 
BS human services ’23, Purdue Global

As someone who had already spent years in her field, Rebecca was no exception.  

“I was able to petition to waive 10 courses, and I was approved to waive seven,” she says. “It saved us a lot of time and money.” 

Caleb didn’t have the relevant work experience Rebecca did, but his academic credit was honored, and it shaved some time off for him, too. 

“Every course I took in my associate degree program transferred either into my core courses or into electives. It took away a lot of the burden of trying to retake classes that weren’t going to transfer at other colleges,” he says. “Purdue Global made it really easy.” 

The Ortizes say that Purdue Global is tuned in to the needs of its working adult students long after getting started, too — they saw the same awareness and understanding from each professor. 

“Hands down, I think these are probably some of the best professors I’ve had. If you ever reached out to a professor, they’d connect with you as quickly as they could,” Caleb says. “They always just wanted you to be able to do better for yourself, so they were willing to do anything they could to help you progress.” 

It paid off. 

Walking forward, together 

Now that their coursework is complete, they’ve crossed the stage together (both wearing summa cum laude cords) to collect their diplomas. But they both say that’s not all they’re walking away with.  

Rebecca says she’s excited that her clients are getting a better version of her.  

“Attending Purdue Global gave me a stronger foundation to meet the needs of my clients and make sure they have the appropriate services in place to help them be successful,” Rebecca says.  

But it makes a difference in her perception of herself, too. 

“I’m a first-generation college graduate,” she says. “It was a big accomplishment for me to be able to earn my associate degree back then, but for me to be able to go back and get my bachelor’s now means a lot to my family — my parents and my sister and my kids. To have my kids see firsthand that no matter what life throws at you, you can still follow your dreams. You can still accomplish what you set out to accomplish no matter how old you are.” 

Caleb, also a first-generation college grad, agrees. 

“Obtaining this degree has given me a sense of self-worth,” he says. “It’s allowed me to see that I can make a difference not only in my own kids’ lives, but all the other youth I work with, too.” 

For both of them, knowing they’ve gained something for themselves and their own kids is just priceless. 

“Life’s not easy,” he says. “There are going to be challenges. But we’ve shown our kids they can make it through no matter what.”

Attending Purdue Global gave me a stronger foundation to meet the needs of my clients.

Rebecca Ortiz BS human services ’23, Purdue Global