Youre Never Too Old to Go Back to School

Youre Never Too Old to Go Back to SchoolYoure Never Too Old to Go Back to SchoolAre you considering furtherbeiing your education but you think youre too old for school? Many would-be students over age 35 see age as an obstacle to continuing their educations, but some have tackled it to prove that youre never too old for school. Brenda Echols Back-to-School Age 58Degree Masters in Nursing Management/Leadership Brenda returned to school at the age of 58. She wanted to pursue her masters in nursing management/leadership with Western Governors University, a nonprofit online university designed for working adults. She welchesand totenstill is the only person in her family with an advanced degree. Heres what she had to say about her journey to a masters degree as an older student. My biggest challenge was overcoming breast cancer while working on my degree. It almost took me out of school, but when I thought about it and talked it over, I decided to hold on and hold out as strong as I could. I believe others can do it, too, if they believe. Its never too late to believe. Being a student helped me maintain my focus during my challenges. My dream sustained me along with family and friends. I never missed a beat. Sarah Kelly Back-to-School Age 47Degree Cosmetology LicenseCareer Change Banking to salon owner Sarah went back to school at 47 years old. She resigned from her job at Wells Fargo Bank in May, took a summer break, then entered the Aveda Institute Minneapolis to get her cosmetology license in October of that same year. Shed received her bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota back in 1990. Its leid exactly stufeuate school, but Ive opened a salon and have had a very successful shop for a few years now. Ive been so much happier in my new vocation. Its my dream job and its absolutely what I was meant to do. Too old for school? Absolutely not I was anxious about going to school with kids half my age, but I was also a more dedicated an d serious student. I was motivated to lose weight- it is the beauty industry, after all. I worried for nothing. The kids were gracious and respectful. A lot of them called me Mom. I was their surrogate mom away from home. I was flattered when they asked me for advice. I was gratified that they accepted me in their lives. I was floored when they asked me to speak at our graduation. It was very flattering. Theresa Cardamone Back-to-School Age 55Degree B.A. in zwischenstaatlich Studies As a 55-year-old freshman with zero college credits, Theresa had a steep road ahead of her when she enrolled at NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS). Thered been a 38-year gap since her last formal schooling, and she had no SAT scores. But she did have decades of life experience from which to draw. Id been a geschftliches miteinander manager/outreach coordinator for a prominent childrens theater. Id developed and managed a world-class Arabian horse farm. Id been heavily endorsed as a candida te for the Seattle School Board, lobbied the Washington State legislature on education issues, and ridden across the United States on the Bicentennial Wagon Train. But I couldnt secure a minimum wage job. I was being screened out because I had no college degree. My B.A. concentration in International Studies will bring my resume up to date and Ill maximize my earning potential for the rest of my productive life. Has it been challenging? Yes. Worthwhile? Hell,yes. It helps that my personal standards are in sync with the universitys high bar. Frank Anthony Polito Back-to-School Age 36Degree MFA in Dramatic WritingCareer Change Actor to writer Frank received his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University at the age of 36 after pursuing a career as an actor in New York City for 11 years. I was the second oldest of the group of writers studying in the program. There were indeed challenges, like spending five to eight hours each day in a classroom af ter being out of school for over a decade. Sometimes the teachers would talk down to us because most of the other students were right out of undergrad. I often had to remind them that Id already lived in the real world. I havent done much dramatic writing since graduation, but Ive taken the skills I learned to begin a career as a novelist. Ive published four books so far, the most recent being a novel called Lost that I self-published under my own imprint. In terms of tips for older students, Id say that you should treat the younger students as your peers. Some of them will act as if they have all the answers, so try to remember how grown up you felt at the age of 20 or 21. You might even find that some of your teachers are younger than you, and you need to give them just as much respect, if not more. Theyll be grading your work, after all. Debbie McDonald Back-to-School Age 58Degree Medical Billing CodingFormer Occupation Small business owner Debbie had reservations about goin g back to school at 58 years old, knowing that she would be older than her classmates and probably even older than her instructors. But after owning several small businesses, including a childrens consignment store and an RV service and repair shop, the Western New York resident found herself unemployed and looking for a more stable position. She knew that the healthcare field was growing, so she decided to enroll in Bryant Stratton College ansprechbars Medical Administration for Billing and Coding Degree program. You just have to keep going and put yourself out there to other people because youll never know what comes back to you when you do. You might lose some of your memory and mind when you get older, but going back to school really proved to me that youre never too old to learn. Nancy B. Irwin, PsyD, C.Ht. Back-to-School Age 44Degree Doctorate in Clinical PsychologyCareer Change Stand-up comic to psychotherapy/clinical hypnosis, speaker/author After working as a stand-up comic for many years, Nancy returned to school at age 44 to earn her doctorate in clinical psychology. She found that she was bored only working 30 minutes a day, so she began volunteering at a shelter for sexually abused teens. It was an absolute epiphany. I fell in love with it- it woke up the healer in me and now Im an expert in sexual abuse recovery and prevention. I treat sex offenders as well as victims. Its my belief that the best way to help victims is to help the perpetrators. I went on to write the self-help, non-fiction Your-Turn Changing Direction in Midlife, which is a collection of over 40 stories of people over 40 who made positive transitions in their professional and personal lives. Its never too late to create a life you love. You must be prepared to hear, How old will you be when you finish? a number of times. I learned to answer this one, The same age Ill be if I dont finish Yvonne Conte Back-to-School Age 45Career Change Salesperson to motivational keynote s peaker/author Getting a degree at Monroe Community College changed Yvonnes entire life. She couldnt find work after losing her sales job due to a corporate merger. She couldnt pay her bills and she s-lost her home to the bank. Financially, she was ruined. She was 45 years old with only a high school education. I enrolled full time as a communications major, not really knowing what I would do with that degree. I learned to work a TV camera in my classes, to write scripts, and to run a radio station. But what I really learned was how to research, interact, write, and network. And because I graduated with a 3.85 GPA, I had confidence for the first time in my life. That belief in myself was worth the price of tuition. I began teaching classes about writing, stand-up comedy, and acting at local businesses. Eventually, I began to speak for local businesses and I was a full-time keynote speaker and a published author within a year of graduation. Ive now published six times and I deliver 50 to 60 keynotes a year all over the United States. None of that would have happened had I not attended college. Rhoda Weiss ?Back-to-School Age 50Degree Ph.D. in Leadership and Change Rhoda recently received her Ph.D. in Leadership and Change some 30 years after earning her masters degree. Many friends and colleagues asked her why she would do this. After all, she had a successful career and she didnt need her Ph.D. to advance. It was something I always wanted to do for myself, a personal goal. It certainly wasnt easy. It took a good seven years to complete, all the while keeping up my work schedule, my leadership commitments, and many other commitments. What helped me was the fact that it was a high-residency program. It met throughout the year for determined periods of time. Half my cohorts were over 50 and I listened to older graduates who had been through it. I learned a great deal about leadership, organizational change, quantitative and qualitative research, and so much mo re. Youll need friends inside and outside the program to support you emotionally. And, yes, Id advise everyone to do it and I would likely do it again. Kami Evans Back-to-School Age 41Career Change Headhunter to holistic health coach As a successful headhunter with her own agency supporting the technology and financial services sectors, Kami flew to nine countries within three weeks when she was only 29. I thought I was a rock star, so much so that I even had the audacity to fly the Concord to England because I couldnt be bothered with first class. I thought money grew on trees and it was just going to be in abundance forever. I made enormous investments at my local places of worship Christian Dior and Luis Vuitton. Then I did the usual marriage, mommy, and becoming-a-yoga teacher thing, but I wondered what else I could do. I came to the realization that I was 41 and had skills in yoga, social networking, and a bit of branding. I dabbled in fundraising and development, but that wasnt a good fit and the money wasnt the same. I decided Id become a holistic health coach because I still had the entrepreneurial spirit. The program offered at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition ticked all the boxes. Learning is all online, support is via website and iPad, and it gives me the flexibility to work from home and, hopefully, help others and network with like-minded people. This is a far cry from the Concord days, but it sure feels more fulfilling. Andrew Yearde Degree B.A. in Economics Andrew started a small consulting company called CBAY Analytics with a partner, but it eventually ceased operation. The firm had trouble finding clients and they were in the midst of a great economic downturn. Andrew had financed the business with all of his savings and he had deferred taking a salary. He was left without money or unemployment compensation when the lights went out. It took 15 years to process my green card and for me to gain citizenship, so I put off college and worked hard. I researched two universities in after my business folded, and the NYU-SCPS program admission individuals seemed to be the most receptive. They offered a more comprehensive program for an adult student. Initially, I had no money and no source of tuition, so I managed to obtain a private student loan to cover the first semester. I was able to obtain financial aid, scholarships, and subsidized loans in subsequent years. Ultimately, the assistance covered maybe half the total cost. I finally found employment with Amazon.com at the lowest level as a warehouse worker. My employer did not reimburse tuition, but they approved time off when I needed it- as long as the work got done. Adult students have to balance both demands. Expect to lose key friends and family members during the journey, but the ones you replace them with will be invaluable. Its worth it You become more efficient and thats not lost in the workplace. The sense of confidence, introspection, and pride from go ing back to school is priceless. Chris Tobias Back-to-School Age 42Career Director of Educational Excitement Chris returned to school at age 42 when a layoff was looming at his company. The layoff thankfully passed him by, but he took the opportunity to get the education he had always wanted. If age has taught me anything, its taught me that you never know whats coming next. So why not study the topics that excite you? Perhaps your passions will lead you to something unexpected, something better than you thought possible. As a returning older student, I quickly discovered that I lacked the skills to handle a heavy load of schoolwork along with full-time employment. Fortunately, my business background helped me to research academic success tools and create a hands-on set of techniques for efficient, enjoyable school success. When I first heard news of my companys planned layoff, I had no idea what was next for me. Today, Im having a wonderful time helping other students, young an d old, succeed in school. It has been a wonderfully unexpected outcome. Elizabeth Venturini Back-to-School Age 50Career Change Marketing to college career strategist Elizabeth is a 50-year-old graduate of UCLAs College Counseling Program. She makes the college admissions process easier for high-achieving, late-blooming teenagers and all the stressed-out parents who love them. She focuses on the end result of graduating with a college degree getting a job. leid knowing all the terminology used in education was the biggest challenge I had to face. Coming from the corporate world was an advantage because I had a business perspective and I used that throughout my coursework. The UCLA College Counseling program provides students with the tools they need to help teens and adults with todays demanding college admissions process. It gave me the opportunity to start a new career and to do something I feel passionate about. Id suggest that anyone in career transition whos interested in go ing back to college to complete a career interest assessment first. Discover your current likes, interests, values, and work style. This is important because what you might have valued in your career when you were 20, 30, or even 40 years old might have changed now that youre in their 50s or older. Greg Mantell Degree Masters in Broadcast JournalismCareer Internet Talk Show Host Greg decided to return to grad school for his masters in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He saw it as an extension of what he was already doing with an Internet talk show, and the best way to take it to the next level. He was able to get in due to networking, placement, and connections. He says that it didnt really hit him that he would be older than many of the students who were in their 20s until a few people mentioned it. As an interviewer, Im used to interacting with people of all ages- I interview many people both younger and older than I am. I received a graduate res earch assistantship with the Investigative Reporters and Editors program, and they seemed to like the fact that I had real-world experience. Personally, being older hasnt phased me as much because many people are going back to school at an older age now and I did already graduate from college years ago. Unlike a 20-year-old who doesnt know what he or she wants to do, I know what I want to do and Im very focused on doing it. Im sure that adding the masters program can only help take things to the next level. Advice? if you know why you want to do the program, then go for it. Theres no reason not to. Its a different world these days. Ive read that entering students at Harvard Medical School range in age from their 20s to early 40s.