When ‘Life Happened,’ This National Guardsman Adapted to Earn a College Degree

As a child, Sheila Alex Halata would often ask her engineer father how things worked. Her dad, who was “big on education,” she says, would sit down and draw her a diagram, patiently explaining the parts and mechanisms of the item in question – what needed to fit together in order to function, how to twist and tweak things to make them go.

Later, when life would put obstacle after obstacle in her way and she was forced to press pause on her college career, Hatala inadvertently followed those lessons – examine, adjust, adapt – to achieve her ultimate goal of earning a bachelor’s degree. In the end, Montclair State University’s flexible, accelerated Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies program was the exact right tool she needed to unlock her future.

‘Always Ready, Always There’

A Wayne native, Hatala began her college career at Rutgers University after completing basic training for the Army National Guard, where today she is an occupational specialist in helicopter repair.

The school wasn’t the right fit for her, so she pivoted and eventually enrolled closer to home at Montclair to pursue her other passion of nutrition and dietetics.

“Then life happened. First COVID, then my dad got sick with cancer and I had to work to keep the house. My life was a crisis,” she says, and she saw no way of continuing her degree as planned. Time to adjust once more.

Hatala was put in contact with Jane Sanchez Swain, Director of the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and set her sights on completing a program designed to help students on nontraditional paths. Despite new challenges, including the passing of her father in 2023 and the birth of her daughter the following year, Hatala was able to get to the finish line (and snag a minor in Nutrition and Food Science).

“It was the best option for me, the perfect fit,” she says of the degree completion program. Like many of her classmates, planning life around a traditional course schedule wasn’t feasible. Hatala would get assignments done during lunch breaks at work, and after her daughter was put to bed. “Time management is a lost art,” she says with a laugh.

“Always ready, always there” is not just the motto that Hatala lives by as a National Guardsman; it’s one that reflects her commitment to both her education and her personal life, come what may.

Creating a Brighter Future

Sanchez Swain says Hatala’s story is all about determination and family.

“She would often join virtual advising appointments from her job on a military base, sometimes in fatigues near a plane. Balancing work, military service, and pregnancy, Alex never let her circumstances dim her resolve. Her positivity and drive were nothing short of remarkable.

“Alex pursued her education not only to advance her career but to create a brighter future for her family, including her newborn baby.”

That brighter future now includes a master’s degree in Public Health. Hatala hopes to one day work for the FDA or USDA, teaching people – including her fiance, young daughter, even folks in the military – about proper nutrition.

Sanchez Swain says the achievements of Hatala and other students in the degree completion program have a significant and positive impact.

“Their accomplishments extend far beyond themselves, creating ripple effects for their families and communities…their stories remind us of the power of resilience and determination.”

Sanchez Swain says she will be cheering on Hatala and her classmates as they cross the stage at their Winter Commencement on January 13 at Prudential Center.

“It’s a moment they’ve truly earned.”

Are you a…

Prospective Student or Parent? Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies program or University College, plan a visit to our campus and take the first step in applying to become a Red Hawk.

Journalist? Contact the Media Relations team for assets or to schedule an interview with a graduating student.