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The Digital Connection highlights students from various educational institutions and alumni. The opportunity to participate is optional and open to the public. Email support@scpandgsg.org for more information.
Capella University
July 18, 2025
Ashlei Brown
Thank you for taking the time to participate in our digital article series, The Digital Connection. Your willingness to share your journey helps bring greater visibility to the experiences of online students and highlights the growing need for inclusive opportunities, like fraternity and sorority involvement, within virtual learning environments.
Before we start, we like to highlight business owners as part of our commitment to supporting small businesses. If you are a business owner, we invite you to share your business name, website, or any relevant details, so we can help amplify your work alongside your personal story.
Yes, I am a business owner. My business is called A.P. Brown Consultants. It is currently in its early development stage, but the mission is clear: to provide mental health advocacy, consulting and community-based education rooted in trauma-informed care and cultural humility. My goal is to bridge the gap between underserved communities and mental health resources by offering workshops, speaking engagements, and eventually clinical support services. A.P. Brown Consultants is more than a business, it is a personal calling from my own lived experiences, professional work in behavioral health, and my passion for helping others find healing and wholeness.
What inspired you to pursue an online college education, and how did you get started?
A combination of life experience, purpose, and personal transformation inspired me to pursue an online college education. After working in behavioral health for over a decade, I was at a crossroads. Traumatization and the death of a loved one propelled me to change direction, not just professionally, but spiritually and emotionally. I knew I could not keep showing up in the same way.
I changed employment and, in that transition, discovered something more profound. I did not just want to support individuals in crisis. I desired to walk them through their healing because I know the struggles of going at it alone. I realized I was being called to the counseling side of mental health. That clarity led me to use faith and return to school.
Online education allowed me to grow academically while still honoring real-life responsibilities I carry as a working professional, a woman in the healing process, and someone committed to purpose-driven work. I enrolled at Capella University in January 2023, where I am pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and am on track to graduate in December 2025.
What challenges have you faced while pursuing your degree online, and how have you overcome them?
While pursuing my degree online, one of the biggest challenges I faced was the pressure to meet and exceed every requirement. During this process, I was part of a program with strict standards to remain active, obtaining nothing less than a "B," I pushed myself obsessively and compulsively not just to meet those expectations, but to outperform them.
In doing so, I sacrificed my mental health and self-care, completely. I poured from an empty cup, striving for perfection, and while maintaining a 4.0, I was killing myself simultaneously. Eventually, I found myself in the darkest place I have ever been in, physically exhausted, emotionally depleted, and spiritually disconnected.
What made this moment even more complex was that I was working on an acute psychiatric unit, supporting others through crisis and healing, while silently needing healing myself. As I continued to study psychological theories and approaches in my coursework, I began to see myself, along with the cracks I had ignored for far too long.
I did not overcome it all at once. I had to crash before rebuilding, and I barely made it through. I decided to shift my focus toward healing. I started honoring my limits, prioritizing therapy, medication, boundary setting, and self-compassion. I also began to apply what I was learning in my psychology courses to myself. I became the client and the clinician-in-training, learning, unlearning, and rebuilding from the inside out.
Online education gave me flexibility, but healing gave me clarity. I now walk with more intention, balance, and a more profound sense of purpose, not just to graduate, but to continue to graduate school to become the counselor I once needed. I carry that experience into every space I enter.
How have you balanced your online coursework with other responsibilities, such as work or family?
Balancing online coursework with my other responsibilities has been nothing short of a test of resilience, intention, and faith. I am employed on a unit that requires a level of emotional energy and presence that most people cannot imagine. On top of that, I am actively writing a book based on my lived experiences, a profoundly personal and emotional project that demands vulnerability and discipline.
I am also in the early stages of launching my business, managing my mental health, and continuing the work of healing from trauma while preparing to help others do the same. There have been days when I have gone from supporting others in crisis to writing a psychology paper or editing a chapter of my book, often with little rest in between. I stay committed because I have given everything to support everyone else's dreams for years, putting myself on the back burner. I could not fail myself.
I have learned to create structure where I can, give myself grace where I cannot, and rely heavily on my "why" to keep me grounded. That "why" includes earning my degree and using my story, education, and voice to amplify healing in every space I occupy- whether through counseling, consulting, or the pages of my book. What has helped me most is embracing that balance does not mean perfection, it means alignment. I choose to lead a life that reflects the purpose I am walking in. With that mindset, I continue to show up: for school, for work, for my writing, and most importantly, for myself.
What have you found to be the benefits of pursuing a college education online, compared to traditional on-campus learning?
One of the greatest benefits of pursuing a college education online is the freedom to grow without compromising the responsibilities and realities of my life. As a working professional, an aspiring author, and someone actively healing from trauma, the flexibility of online learning has allowed me to fully participate in all areas of my life, not just the classroom.
Unlike traditional on-campus learning, online education respects the fact that many of us are not just students; we are caregivers, employees, business owners, and people evolving through lived experience. I can work a full shift at the hospital, come home, take a moment to breathe, and then contribute meaningfully to my coursework. I can schedule learning around life rather than forcing life into the margins of an academic calendar.
But beyond flexibility, online education has also strengthened my discipline, time management, and self-motivation. No physical classroom holds me accountable; it is just me, my goals, and my "why." That alone has taught me a level of resilience and responsibility I would not trade for anything.
Online education gives me the space to heal, create, and serve while I walk toward the future I envision. It has not just accommodated my journey; it has empowered it.
How have you stayed motivated and engaged in your online classes, and what strategies have you used to ensure your success?
Staying motivated and engaged in my online classes has required a deep connection to my "why." I remind myself constantly that I am not just earning a degree but also walking in purpose, preparing to become the therapist, advocate, and leader I once needed. That vision alone fuels me on the hardest days.
I also stay motivated by remembering who I am doing this for: for the people I serve, for my future clients, for every woman who thought it was too late to start over, and most importantly, for myself.
Regarding strategy, I have learned to approach online learning with intention and structure. I use planners and checklists to stay organized, and I carve out quiet, non-negotiable time for coursework even if it means saying no to other things. I also make space for grace. If I am having a tough day mentally or emotionally, I allow myself to rest, reset, and then return with focus.
One of the most powerful tools I have used is integration, connecting what I am learning in class to real-world experiences. Whether applying psychological theories to my work, reflecting on them through my book, or using them to understand myself better, I stay engaged because the material feels alive and relevant to my growth. Success is not just about GPA; it is about transformation, and I stay committed to that every day.
What does it signify to you when organizations like Sigma Chi Psi Sorority and Gamma Sigma Gamma Fraternity attempt to bridge the social gap for students who are pursuing their education online?
When organizations like Sigma Chi Psi Sorority and Gamma Sigma Gamma Fraternity work to bridge the social gap for students pursuing education online, it signifies representation, inclusion, and validation. It means those who took a different route, whether due to life circumstances, healing, caregiving, or career demands, are still seen as worthy, capable, and deserving of community and connection.
For me, it sends a clear message: just because I took a nontraditional path does not mean I am any less qualified or committed. That acknowledgement means something. It affirms that my journey, with its twists, sacrifices, and late-night study sessions, still holds value in academic and social spaces.
These organizations remind students like me that we do not have to be on campus to belong, that we do not have to walk through physical halls to walk in purpose. The attempt to bridge that gap is more than thoughtful; it is transformational. It creates a space where community is not bound by buildings but built on values, vision, and shared purpose.
What significance do socializing, networking, and participating in events focused on networking and community service hold for you?
Socializing, networking, and participating in community service events hold deep significance for me because they create opportunities for connection, collaboration, and collective impact. As someone who has spent much of her life pouring into others, often while feeling isolated in my journey, I have come to value intentional spaces where people can not only show up but be seen.
For me, networking is not just about exchanging information; it is about building relationships that are rooted in shared purpose, mutual growth, and aligned values. I believe that being in a community with like-minded individuals sharpens our vision, expands our possibilities, and reminds us that we are not doing this work alone.
Community service, in particular, speaks to the core of who I am. It allows me to live out my values in real time, serving with compassion, advocating for those who feel unseen, and using my voice and time to make a difference. These experiences keep me grounded in purpose and connected to the very communities I one day hope to serve in a greater clinical capacity.
Participating in events like these is not just about being involved; it is about being intentional about how I use my gifts, my story, and my presence to uplift, inspire, and build something bigger than myself.
Thank you again for being part of The Digital Connection. Your voice adds depth and meaning to this series, and we’re honored to share your perspective. We look forward to amplifying your story and continuing to build a platform that reflects the diverse journeys of online learners everywhere.