Jannine Jacoby’s Journey to Overcome Anxiety and Achieve Her Degree

A 31-Year Journey Toward a Bachelor’s Degree

Jannine Jacoby is on the verge of completing a mission that began over three decades ago: earning her bachelor’s degree. From her basement office in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, she embarks on her final year at the University of Virginia, nearly 300 miles away. Despite the distance, Jacoby remains determined to finish what she started.

Jacoby, a student in UVA’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies Bachelor of Independent Studies program, is no stranger to academic challenges. Her journey has been marked by anxiety, a condition that has accompanied her since childhood. Recalling her initial college experience in 1995, she said, “My anxiety was so bad that I couldn’t force myself to leave my room to go to class on a lot of days.”

At 49, Jacoby reflects on a time when anxiety was a misunderstood condition. “From the time I was a child, I only spoke if spoken to. I didn’t do well in a group of more than two. I was just so shy and anxious,” she explained. Her struggles led her to leave college, but she continued to pursue her dreams, albeit at a slower pace.

While Jacoby found success in her personal life, marrying and raising two children, the goal of obtaining a bachelor’s degree remained elusive. “All my friends have been to college – some have advanced degrees – and they would always say it’s such a shame I didn’t finish,” she shared. In 2023, she decided it was finally time to pursue the dream that had lingered for so long.

Jacoby sought a program that offered both prestige and flexibility. Although one school declined her community college credits and another proved too costly, UVA emerged as the ideal choice. “The choice was easy: UVA is a better school than the others, it’s cheaper, and they could accommodate an online schedule,” she noted. Her academic journey resumed in the fall of 2024.

Despite her academic achievements, Jacoby’s anxiety persisted. However, she found solace in the support from her professors.

But the UVA professors couldn’t be more accommodating, nicer or more understanding. They really do care. It’s not just lip service on the website or in their marketing materials.

Through conversations with her professors and advisers, Jacoby found encouragement and support. After overcoming initial doubts, she fully committed to her studies, taking additional courses and engaging in student activities. She even pursued AI certification courses through Google, collaborating with a Charlottesville business on an AI-based marketing program.

Balancing her roles as a mother, employee, and student posed challenges. “It was a little tough sometimes, like when I would be in class while in the bleachers at high school soccer games with my laptop,” Jacoby recalled. Yet, she managed to navigate these obstacles with resilience.

Though anxiety remains a part of her life, Jacoby has developed strategies to manage it effectively. Her journey is a testament to perseverance and the belief that it’s never too late to pursue one’s dreams.