Students separated, graduates gathered: At distance-learning school, ceremony means meeting classmates, profs - Eboni Farmer, New Britain Herald

As one of 591 relieved graduates at a Charter Oak State College ceremony Sunday, Andrea Clark could not help but smile. "At one point I thought this day would never come, but now that it's here I can breathe a little easier," Clark said. Clark did not earn her degree the traditional way - instead, she earned it online from Charter Oak, a distance-learning institution. "I don't think people really understand how convenient online courses can be. I'm 35 years old with four children, and I don't have time to go get a degree by going to campus for classes," Clark said.

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