NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT WEEK a..* 7,2001 6
always made sure I was
an active participant in
my classes.
My journey has lasted
six years, and it's sur
real that in just a month
I will be walking across
the stage with a dual
degree in Psychology
and Commvmication. The
men and women I have
met at Meredith will
always elicit memories
that I will forever keep
in my heart. I still don't
know how I will adjust
to reentering the "real
world." Can I survive
without daily home
work? I know it soimds
silly, but I have been in
a schedule for six years.
The adjustment will be
hard, but 1 know that if
I ever need an encour
aging word (or two!), 1
have an amazing support
system through profes
sors that have been in
my comer since my first
class six years ago.
I have to say a spe
cial thank you to all
the women that have
been with my in the
Communication Club for
the last 2 years; you all
have become my family
away from home. Thank
you for being so sup
portive and the source of
all my fun! My last two
years would not have
been the same without
you. 1 will miss Meredith
College intensely, and,
dare I
say, iny
experi
ence
was
worth
every
penny!
-Zoe Playe
When 1 was asked
what it meant to me to
be a non-traditional stu
dent, 1 wasn't really sure
how to answer. I realized
that the meaning to me
has changed throughout
my time at Meredith, the
same way that I have
changed as a person. I
started out very nervous
that I could not do the
work or would not fit in,
but, through the encour
agement of my profes
sors and fellow students,
those insecurities have
been replaced by a con
fidence I did not have
before.
The most prominent
answer I kept coming
up with was the idea
of choice and the free
dom to make choices. 1
have returned to school
because of choices: the
choice to change careers,
the choice to go back to
school, the choice to take
advantage of the learning
culture that is Meredith,
and more. 1 have learned
that the choices you
make today enable you
to make choices in the
future.
Things happen in
life—whether it is gradu
ate school, marriage, chil
dren, divorce—that force
you to reevaluate yoiu-
life. You have to ask
yourself if you have the
tools to make the choices
necessary to survive. It
has been my experience
that you can expect that
your life will turn out a
certain way, but rarely
does it work out exactly
as you have planned. By
having choices you allow
yourself to come off of
life's unavoidable bumps
and land on your feet.
I have had opportuni
ties I never would have
had if I were not a stu
dent at Meredith at this
time in my Ufe. I was
in the audience for Dr.
Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel
Laureate, I have visited a
Muslim mosque, 1 have
seen the planets through
Dr. Novak's telescope
(and learned that there
is at least one Martin
Luther bobble-head in
existence), 1 learned to
play golf and I had the
sincere honor of being
a student of Dr. John
Creagh's this past spring.
Regardless of whether
I have participated in
activities because of
class credit, extra credit
or sheer interest, all of
the experiences I have
had have impacted
who I am as a person;
When 1 get down about
a grade or tired from
too many deadlines,
1 remind myself to be
thankful for tiie oppor
tunity God gave me to
be at Meredith right
now. When 1 decided to
come to Meredith, I did
not really xmderstand
what all it meant. Now
I see that in addition to a
world-class education, I
have been exposed to so
many fascinating people,
experiences and ideas
that 1 will carry with me
long after graduation.
-Terri Neal
When I was first pre
sented with the opportu
nity to write about what
it means to be a no-tradi
tional student, so many
things came to mind that
I was sure I could not
capture it all in just one
paper. After analyzing
the situation, 1 decided
that there were three
major factors in what it
means to me to be a non-
traditional student.
First, I have learned
to appreciate the value
of an excellent education
at this point in my life
more than 1 ever did as
a traditional student. As
a high school drop-out,
it took me a few years to
gather enough courage to
get my G.E.D., enroll in a
community college, and
set my educational goals.
It also took time for me
to fully comprehend just
how important and valu
able higher education is.
1 was always taught by
my parents that as long
as 1 "married well," there
was no need for a woman
to go beyond high school.
I think back to the day
that I went for my G.E.D.
transcripts and the lady
that was helping me
stated that I would never
become a Meredith stu
dent, because "people
like me" just did not go
to Meredith. 1 could
not decide if I was hurt,
angry, or if her state
ment made me even
more determined than I
already was; 1 decided on
the latter. That happened
almost two years ago.
The second reason
why it means so mudi
to me to be a non-tra-
ditional student is the
fact tixat 1 am the mother
of six children, five of
whom are girls. 1 have
taught my children that
an education is the most
important asset to have.
No matter where they
go, or what they do, no
one can ever take that
away from them. I have
also taught my children
to be independent. My
eldest daughter is cur-
rentiy a Meredith fresh
man and I look forward
to the day when my
younger daughters walk
the halls of Meredith.
As a non-traditional
student, my daughters
have witnessed their
mom studying, mak
ing fiash-cards, doing
research for papers, and
reading more. They
have been very patient
and xmderstanding in
regards to my nights
away from them. My
reward, however, was
the pride 1 saw reflected
in their eyes when I
brought home that "A"
paper that I worked so
hard for I can only hope
that 1 have shown them
that if they set their mind
to something, no mat
ter what their age, they
can accomplish anything
with enough faith, sup
port, and determination.
Lastiy, I have wit
nessed ^e impact first
hand that I have on tra
ditional students just by
being in the classroom,
participating in discus
sions, and making the
younger students feel
more comfortable by
mentoring them. Since
my very first class, the
non-traditional students
would sit in the front of
the class to "absorb" any
and all information the
professor would give. I
always tried to include
the traditional students,
ask their opinion, and
really encourage them
to get involved by mak
ing them see that what
they have to add is just
as important, and just
as valuable as any one
else's opinion. Last
Thanksgiving, before
our holiday break, 1 had
a student give me a hug
and thank me for being
a good fiiend. She said
that she missed her fam
ily terribly and that hav
ing a "mother figure"
was helping her through
her first year. I realized
at d\at point that non-
traditional students not
only mean a great deal
to ^e Meredith commu
nity, non-traditional stu
dents have an enormous
impact on the traditional
students as well.
-Angela Riggs
Non-traditional Q&A
Who is a noDtraditionai
student? Non-traditional
students include adults who
have been downsized at
work, housewives who are
coming back to education
after years of taking care of
their families and homes,
students seeking a degree
in order to move up in their
jobs, and students who had
to take care of families and
did not have the opportunity
to go to college. There are
many reasons for adults to
come back to school.
What are the common
hardships for nontradi-
tional students? The ma
jority of non-traditional stu
dents can only attend school
part-time. For mothers who
attend college while rais
ing a family, it is the guilt
of missing those special
moments in her child’s
life. Another hardship for
non-traditional students is
having to re-leam study
skills because they have
been out of the classroom
for a while.