Feb. 28, 2002
Features
Page 19
Elon student returns after 17 years for higher education
Jennifer Oglesby
Reporter
Adrainne Thompson doesn’t ex
pect more out of life than she puts into
it, and she doesn’t take anything that
she hasn’t earned. She is one of the
4,000 undei^duate students walking
around campus, but she won’t blend
into the crowd, unless that crowd hap
pens to be full of professors.
Thompson is a 39-year-old
single mother of two, who has re
turned to Elon after a 17-year ab
sence. She first attended Elon from
1981 to 1984, and intended to com
plete a degree in office administra
tion. In 1984, the beginning of her
fourth year, she got pregnant.
“I had dealt myself a whole new
unexpected focus and set of priori
ties,” Thompson said.
She has spent the last 17 years
going from job to job, trying to
make ends meet. At one point, she
devoted five years to one job and
lost the opportunity to move up the
corporate ladder because she lacked
a college degree.
“I had only one more step to take
to become a supervisor of the de
partment, and the company brought
someone in from the outside,” she
said. “I knew it was because I didn’t
have a degree.”
With determination and stub
bornness, Thompson received fi
nancial aid to go back to school. She
found grants and scholarship pro
grams on the Internet and submit
ted letters anywhere she thought she
could get financial help, including
the Department of Social Services.
“It must have been meant for me
to go, because I got huge re
sponses,” Thompson said. “One
couple even received my letter and
granted me $100.”
Once she had the financial help,
she applied, explaining what she
would do differently the second
time to be successful.
After three weeks, the dean
wrote her a letter granting her re
admission, but put her on academic
probation until she could prove she
could make the grades.
“I am proud to say that I was on
the “B” Honor Roll, as my daugh
ter would say,” Thompson said.
The number of undergraduate
students at Elon who are more than
25 years old is slowly falling. The
number has dropped from 214 in
1990 to its lowest point of 19 in
2000, In 2001-2002, 25 nontradi-
tional undergraduates attend Elon.
Thompson says she is thankful
she has a second chance to get an
education, and she loves going
through the process with her two
children, who are 17 and 12.
“When it’s time for tests or ex
ams, we all call out one another’s
questions,” she said. “We reward
one another a dollar for every test
over an 85. Actually, it is quite in
teresting and fun.”
Along with the responsibilities
of school, this single mother holds
two part-time jobs, one at Food
Lion and the other at the Elon Uni
versity campus shop. Thompson is
now majoring in human services
Jennifer Oglesby/Photographer
Adrainne Thompson couldn’t get enough of Elon, so she came
back after 17 years.
and has a genuine love for people.
“I feel that in our lifetime, if we can
touch one person in a significant way
to where they can look up at you, then
that is what makes life worth living,”
she said.
Thompson is known for her
positive energy and good advice.
“She always gives 100 percent
and is so friendly to everyone she
meets,” Sandra Shoe, her Food Lion
manager, said.
She gives no excuses for her fail
ures, always putting her own needs
last.
“If this story helps people go
back to school to do what they think
is impossible for them, then I have
already honored my major, en
hanced my life and filled my soul.”
CAREER
FOCUS
Rotaract at Elon
Youth branch of Rotary International
What's there for students?
Business and career contacts
International student exchange programs
Leadership and communication skills development
Community service
For information about the meetings please con
tact: Angie Smith at (336)687-6948 or
smitha@konica.com or Svetlana Yarmak at
syarmak@yahoo.com
Graduation is only 88 days away
Seniors, do you know where you will be after May 25?
Reminder
Elon Career and Graduate School Fair
Thursday, March 7 -1 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Alumni Gym
Full-time, Part-time, Summer Jobs, Internships, Graduate Schools
Career Center Resume Walk-in Hours
Now Available in March!
The Career Center now has walk-in hours available to help students with
resumes. Come to Duke 101 to get your resume reviewed and to put it on
the Elon Job Network. Walk-in hours are Tuesdays 3 - 5 p.m. and Wednes
days 11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m during March. Please bring a draft of your re
sume. Note: This service is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
WWW.
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