Zurab hadn’t sat in a classroom in over twenty years. The idea of returning to education, let alone in a scientific field, felt like it belonged to a younger version of himself.

What made it possible was the format: fully online, self-paced enough to work around a full-time job and a family, but structured enough that he never felt adrift. Faculty office hours became a lifeline in the first few months.

He’s now working toward a career in health services, and tells anyone who’ll listen that the hardest part was starting, not finishing.