Student Spotlight: Debbie Sackett's journey of growth

After moving back to Price, Utah in 2021, Debbie Sackett began working at A Perfect Smile. Since then, she’s completed both the Certified Remote Work Professional^© and the Certified Sales Professional ^© courses through USU's Rural Online Initiative.

Even though Debbie has only worked remotely for a short period, she says the courses have been “a great benefit” to her professional development. These experiences have helped her grow in confidence, expand her knowledge, and prepare for future leadership opportunities.

Debbie’s story reflects the value of continuous learning, especially in rural communities where flexible skills and digital tools make a meaningful difference.

Ready to grow your skills? Remote work course registration is now open for August. Don't wait, sign-up today!

Last chance: Enroll in the August Certified Sales & Communication Professional course

Don’t miss your final opportunity to take the Certified Sales & Communication Professional© course, starting August 4!

Whether you're job hunting, launching a business, or growing a freelance career, this course will help you build the skills to confidently connect, pitch, and close with success.

What you’ll learn:

How to build trust and relationships
A proven 4-step sales process
Active listening techniques
How to handle objections with ease
Tips for writing a resume that stands out

This is the last chance to experience this cohort as an instructor-lead course. Don't wait!

Enroll today

Remote work isn't a passing trend, it's reshaping the economic landscape

A new Federal Reserve study examined the rise of remote work and its impact on wages. While remote roles are becoming more common, their connection to pay remains complex and continues to evolve. In the early 2020s, many workers accepted lower compensation in

exchange for the flexibility to work from home. Today as remote work has become more widely available, employers are adjusting compensation to attract a broader range of talent.

Demand for remote work has soared.

The link between remote work and wage is shifting, and ongoing research is needed to better understand its long-term effects. Still, the trend points to significant changes in how work is structured and who can access opportunity.

The Rural Online Initiative is preparing rural residents to succeed in this evolving economy. Through programs like the Certified Remote Work Professional^© course and the E-Commerce Accelerator program, expand access to high-quality employment, support rural prosperity, and contribute to long-term resilience and statewide economic health.

Learn how the program supports rural prosperity →

See the impact in action

Our curated roundup of the trending flexible work stories

Corporate America is still figuring out what flexible work really means, and the headlines reflect that:

Citigroup is offering its 229,000 hybrid employees two fully remote weeks of their choosing in August, reinforcing a flexible work culture. Read more from Entrepreneur →

Dropbox CEO Drew Houston compared return-to-office mandates to forcing people back into malls and movie theaters, stating “it’s a different world now.”
Read more from MSN →
Google is tightening its return-to-office rules for employees within 50 miles of an office while offering buyouts to some teams. Executives are concerned these changes could result in the loss of top talent in the AI race.
Read more from Fortune →
Dell has mandated five days in the office, but uneven enforcement has sparked tensions. Some employees badge in and leave, while others stay all day.
Read more from Business Insider →

While policies shift and companies explore new models, one thing is clear: remote work is no longer a trend. It is a fundamental transformation.

Stay informed. Stay ready. Read the full stories above. ↑

The Rural Online Initiative is helping leaders stay ahead of the curve through the Certified Remote Leader^© course, designed to help organizational leaders navigate today’s evolving workplace through scenarios like:

Balancing flexibility and structure in remote teams
Managing team culture and communication across settings
Retaining top talent in fast-moving sectors
Adapting to rapidly shifting workforce expectations

Uncertainty is inevitable, but with the right tools, leadership can turn disruption into opportunity and ROI is pioneering the way forward.

🎉 Celebrating Birthdays, Remote-Style

At Rural Online Initiative, we’ve had a birthday boom. Even though we work from different locations, we still find fun and meaningful ways to celebrate together.

Here are a few simple ways to make remote birthdays special:

Share a custom AI birthday song
Give a shoutout in a team meeting
Send a digital card or group message
Drop birthday memes in chat
Send a small gift or treat

This month, we celebrated with a custom song and some of our favorite remote office birthday memes. Take a look!

How do you celebrate birthdays with your remote team? Whether it’s memes, music, or surprise shoutouts, those little moments matter, and we’d love to hear how you make them special.

Have a success story or testimonial to share?

We’d love to hear how ROI has made a difference in your journey.

Share your story with us.

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