It's never too late
By: Clifton L. Davis
Issue date: 11/12/08 Section: News
Gloria Evans had her first child two months after graduating from high school. Three children and a husband later, she decided to leave the workforce and go to college to become a teacher.
Evans, who owned a seamstress company for more than 18 years, said a part-time job as a teacher's assistant gave her the inspiration to further her education.
"Instead of working on retirement, I'm working on a career," she said.
Evans said the only drawback to being a non-traditional student is that she always looks back and thinks of how she could have gotten her education out of the way earlier.
Evans is one of many people who choose not to attend college right after high school. The are a myriad of reasons many do not go directly from high school to college. Some decide to have a family first. Others choose to enter the work-force or the military. Some drop out of high school, dashing chances to go to college until a General Educational Development test is passed.
Although adult students have a different set of responsibilities than the typical 20-year-old student, such as families and full- time jobs, those who do choose to attend college later in life may have an advantage over the younger, more traditional students.
Heather Hampton, office coordinator of the Adult and Commuter Services office at The University of Memphis, said adult students can use "life experiences from working in the world and add a broader perspective to learning in a classroom."
Hampton said she sees students come back after raising families. In addition, she said people come back because they want to upgrade from a job to a career or the job they currently hold has been upgraded to requiring a college degree.
She said Adult and Commuter Services offers students a variety of services ranging from support systems to tutoring and help purchasing books.
Not all adult students enrolled in college are just beginning a secondary education. Rachael Grant, a senior majoring in art education, enrolled to become further certified in her field. She said after high school, she enrolled at The U of M with a different major in mind but did not graduate. She started a business, got married and moved to Dyersburg, Tenn., with her husband.
Evans, who owned a seamstress company for more than 18 years, said a part-time job as a teacher's assistant gave her the inspiration to further her education.
"Instead of working on retirement, I'm working on a career," she said.
Evans said the only drawback to being a non-traditional student is that she always looks back and thinks of how she could have gotten her education out of the way earlier.
Evans is one of many people who choose not to attend college right after high school. The are a myriad of reasons many do not go directly from high school to college. Some decide to have a family first. Others choose to enter the work-force or the military. Some drop out of high school, dashing chances to go to college until a General Educational Development test is passed.
Although adult students have a different set of responsibilities than the typical 20-year-old student, such as families and full- time jobs, those who do choose to attend college later in life may have an advantage over the younger, more traditional students.
Heather Hampton, office coordinator of the Adult and Commuter Services office at The University of Memphis, said adult students can use "life experiences from working in the world and add a broader perspective to learning in a classroom."
Hampton said she sees students come back after raising families. In addition, she said people come back because they want to upgrade from a job to a career or the job they currently hold has been upgraded to requiring a college degree.
She said Adult and Commuter Services offers students a variety of services ranging from support systems to tutoring and help purchasing books.
Not all adult students enrolled in college are just beginning a secondary education. Rachael Grant, a senior majoring in art education, enrolled to become further certified in her field. She said after high school, she enrolled at The U of M with a different major in mind but did not graduate. She started a business, got married and moved to Dyersburg, Tenn., with her husband.