Dual Enrollment Student Greenlee Orman Becomes First to Achieve Jax MIX Microcredential

01/24/2025

By Dr. Benjamin Gross 

In a world of instant gratification where success is often measured in quick wins, academic accomplishments can sometimes feel like distant goals. Eating that value meal, binging the latest series, or impulsively buying a new fad puts momentary joy ahead of long-term success. 

Greenlee Orman found a way to earn meaningful credentials while staying motivated along the way. A dual enrollment student, Orman earned the university’s first-ever Jax MIX Microcredential. During the Fall B semester of 2024, she completed the components of the Media Literacy Microcredential. 

“As a student, you’re working towards a goal, and I feel like four years is a long time for anybody,” Orman said. “But, if through those years, you’re getting a credential here and a credential there, then you feel a sense of accomplishment. There’s this overwhelming sense to keep going.” 

This accomplishment gives Orman the instant gratification of a credential on her transcript while she continues to pursue a major in accounting. Furthermore, she has the instant benefit of adding the Media Literacy Microcredential to her resume, which makes her job application unique for a college student. 

 In addition to her transcript, Orman received a digital badge through the Credentials platform, which she can share on LinkedIn and other professional networks to easily alert future employers of her credentials. 

“Employers can see that I’m certified in media literacy,” Orman said. “By just looking at this, they can go, ‘Oh wow, OK, she knows what she’s doing in this area.’” 

Students can inform employers they are trained in five different topics through Jax MIX Microcredentials. These topics are media literacy, community engagement, ethical leadership, global connections, and environmental stewardship.   

By completing courses within Jax MIX, the university’s signature general education program, students begin to earn these microcredentials. This makes Jax MIX the first program in the nation to embed general education as part of microcredentials. 

Beyond coursework, students need to attend three events, submit a work product, and compose a reflection that corresponds to the Jax MIX Microcredentials they are pursuing. All undergraduate students at Jacksonville State University can pursue Jax MIX Microcredentials.  

Students have their entire undergraduate career to complete these requirements. Orman, however, took advantage of the program’s first semester to earn the Media Literacy Microcredential. 

“Greenlee is a motivated student whose intellect and dedication made her well-positioned to become Jax MIX’s first recipient of a microcredential,” said Dr. Marija Reiff, Jax MIX’s Microcredential Coordinator. “Greenlee’s ability to fuse her coursework, event attendance, and work product–and to articulate how they connect–superbly demonstrates her mastery of media literacy.” 

When sharing the giddiness of this historic accomplishment, Orman noted how enjoyable attending events were as part of the Jax MIX Microcredential process.  

She said the events helped her to connect her major, career, and media literacy together. Furthermore, the events helped Orman to bond with campus and interact with her classmates in a way that differs from the classroom. 

 “Not only are you learning from the presentation or event, but you’re also learning social skills, making new connections, and meeting new friends, “Orman said. “You get the human interaction that you need.”  

Dr. Benjamin Gross, Director of Jax MIX, sees Orman’s experience as anecdotal evidence of the importance of the university’s general education program. Gross notes that numerous studies find students who engage with campus are healthier, happier, more likely to graduate and experience numerous other benefits.  

“Students often see general education as a checklist of random classes that prevent them from pursuing their career goals,” Gross said. “Greenlee’s accomplishment shows how general education at Jax State is part of the university’s cohesive mission to serve students from their first class to their first career.”  

Orman hopes her accomplishment inspires other students to take advantage of the Jax MIX Microcredentials. She thinks her achievement will inspire others to begin earning these rewards along their path towards a college degree. 

 To learn more about your progress to earning a Jax MIX Microcredential, visit Credentials, reach out to your academic advisor, or contact the Jax MIX office.