SW New Mexico News

Priscilla Carabajal, who grew up in Anthony, New Mexico, never considered college an option. Starting her career in corrections at age 19, she later worked for the health department and health and social services. Over the years, Carabajal has held positions with the city, county, and state.

After a hiatus since 2016, Carabajal returned to higher education and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in individualized studies from New Mexico State University (NMSU). She is currently an executive administrative assistant in NMSU’s College of Engineering.

"It's never too late," Carabajal said. "I started my education later in life. I never thought I was going to see the light at the end of that tunnel, but I did."

Joseph Lakey, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at NMSU, coordinates the Bachelor of Individualized Studies (BIS) and Bachelor of Applied Studies (BAS) degree programs. He collaborates closely with NMSU Global, the university’s fully online campus offering various academic programs.

Both BIS and BAS provide flexible paths for students to earn a bachelor’s degree. The BIS degree caters to diverse student needs by allowing completion when an initial major does not fit as planned or serving those returning to finish their degrees after stopping out. It also accommodates students seeking academic programs not traditionally offered at NMSU.

The BAS degree offers options for community college graduates with technical and applied degrees from accredited institutions. It aims to minimize credit loss for associate degree holders pursuing a bachelor’s degree by requiring fewer upper-division credits.

"We try to take advantage of credits that a student may have accumulated that can transfer in," Lakey said. "Really the selling point of BIS and BAS is flexibility because many students in NMSU Global or adult learners who spent time in college but had to stop out could benefit from this program."

Carabajal's BIS degree allowed her to choose from various classes while maintaining online flexibility through NMSU Global as she worked full-time.

"I've taken child development classes, criminal justice classes, business classes – all fields that I like – which has helped me be successful," Carabajal said.

Carabajal is among more than 400,000 New Mexicans with some higher education who have not completed a degree. Through NMSU Global, the university aims to meet these adult learners' needs.

"Maybe they've stepped out for 10 years or 15 years and might not feel ready to come back to school," said Beth Apodaca, NMSU Global vice chancellor of learning science and assessment. "What we do well in global is student support... Our advising team really does a great job reaching out every step of the way."

The BIS option is also available to any NMSU student looking to build their own curriculum.

"We had a student stop by our recruiting table who plans to start at NMSU this fall interested in BIS," Lakey said. "These students tend to be higher achieving students wanting autonomy over their curriculum."

The College of Arts and Sciences provides core courses required for any degree at NMSU and has partnered successfully with NMSU Global since its inception. Psychology and criminal justice are popular majors within arts and sciences offered through NMSU Global's online platform.

For Carabajal, earning her degree represents a significant milestone providing confidence for future supervisory roles within her department.

"Look, I started my education later in life and now I have my degree," she said. "Even if you took some classes when you were younger... it’s never too late... I'm happy I did."