A newsletter for Edinboro Universityâ€&#x;s adult student population.
Issue 7, Fall 2013
New Leaf WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Nothing is more rewarding than keeping in touch with adult students after they graduate from Edinboro and become alumni, according to the Office of Adult Student Services! Hopefully, seeing what former students are doing is also encouraging to current students. Lori Maughan graduated from Edinboro in the spring of 2009 with a bachelor of arts in psychology, concentrating in mental health. She was accepted into the graduate program at Edinboro for rehabilitation counseling in the fall of 2009 and graduated with her master of arts in the spring of 2012. She actively searched for a job after graduation and landed her dream job as a rehabilitation specialist with Presque Isle Rehabilitation Services. The company is based in Edinboro where she lives, and she is able to work from home most of the time. The job serves clients within a 2.5 hour radius from Erie, so she is able to do a bit of traveling from time to time, which she loves. Lori works with injured workers as a liaison between the injured worker, employer and insurance adjuster. In this position, she is able to utilize her previous nursing background in combination with her graduate degree. Lori has a unique connection with her clients as she, too, was an injured worker before deciding to return to school for a change in career path. Continued on page 4...
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Where are They Now ...............1 Student in the Spotlight...........2 Learning Outside of Class........3 Adult Student Scholarship ......3 Did You Know? ........................4
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. -Chinese Proverb
THE QUESTION NOT ASKED IS THE ONE NOT ANSWERED “In the six years that I have worked with adult students, I‟ve found one of the most pervasive issues is their fear of asking questions,” says Philomena Gill, Associate Director of the Center for Career Development and Adult Student Services. “This occurs not only in the classroom, but outside as well. There are so many resources for them, and sometimes a simple question is all it takes to solve their problem or point them in the right direction.” Adult student and psychology major Michelle Morton gives the following insight: “Every year I get older and the
kids get younger! When I first started back, I was nervous about being the "old" person in the room. In high school, I never wanted to ask questions for fear of looking stupid. Now, I go ahead and ask because I've learned that most everyone else in the class has the same questions - they're just afraid to ask. The only way you learn is by asking questions!” The moral of this story? “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” ― Henry Ford
ADULT STUDENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT Meet Laura Bednarski. Laura began her studies at Edinboro 17 years ago as an elementary education major. After attending for three semesters, she decided to take off a few years. She made her return in the spring of 2009 and is now a nursing major set to graduate in the spring of 2015. Like most adult students, Laura has little free time, and in fact says balancing school, work and kids is the most difficult thing about being an adult student. What time she does have, she devotes to family, but she does manage to squeeze in participation in a campus organization called SNOE (Student Nurses‟ Organization of Edinboro). Laura stresses that it‟s a team effort, and that she would not be able to go to school if she did not have the support and encouragement of her husband, son and daughter. She chose Edinboro because it is where she began her college education, and it‟s where she wanted to continue it. She has always wanted to be a registered nurse and would love to work in a surgery center when she graduates.
Laura Bednarski with son Chad, daughter Sydney, and husband Chad
Laura‟s advice to other adult students: “Keep focused on the present and take it one day at a time.”
FOCUS ON ADULT STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
RICHARD J. AND JOYCE M. GROMEN SCHOLARSHIP
Adult students Laura Tepe (Middle/Secondary English) and Andrea Festa (Environmental Geology) skydiving in Grove City, PA with fellow Edinboro University students at an April 13, 2013 CORE Adventure Weekend trip.
LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM By David Goodwill, Coordinator of Camps, Programs and Recreation The Campus Outdoor Recreational Experience (C.O.R.E) would like to send a special message to all adult students at Edinboro University. The C.O.R.E program is not just for traditional students! We recognize that many adult students have increased responsibilities as compared to most traditional students. C.O.R.E trips are offered primarily on weekends to help combat hectic schedules. We offer trips such as mountain biking, backpacking, skydiving, white water rafting and more. Because we do not allow nonstudents the ability to go on trips, the opportunity also exists for you to rent, at reasonable prices, all the gear necessary to go mountain biking, camping/backpacking, snow shoeing/ cross country skiing on your own. We can also assist you in planning your weekend with access to trail maps. This is a very cost effective way for the whole family to enjoy an adventure trip without breaking the bank. Students interested in trips or rentals should contact the C.O.R.E office located in the Pogue Student Center Climbing Gym at 814-732-2942 from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Sunday – Friday or borocore@gmail.com anytime!
Dr. Richard J. Gromen dedicated 34 years of his life to the students of Edinboro University as a professor of history. The Richard J. and Joyce M. Gromen scholarship is intended to provide recognition, motivation, and support to nontraditional students majoring in History. Last academic year, Edinboro University adult students received $83,301 in Edinboro scholarships.
A NEWSLETTER FOR EDINBORO UNIVERSITY‟S ADULT STUDENT POPULATION. New Leaf is published each fall and spring by the Office of Adult Student Services. The purpose of the newsletter is to provide information pertinent to Edinboro University‟s adult student population. Our Mission: The mission of Edinboro University‟s Office of Adult Student Services is to empower prospective and current adult learners to meet and exceed their educational goals through supportive programs and individualized services that remove barriers to their success.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? CONT... About her job, Lori says “I love working with the injured workers and have been really lucky to have the clientele that I do. It is such an amazing feeling when I close a file and the worker has returned to their job and full life. Seeing their progress and working with their family gives me such great satisfaction that it can‟t be compared to anything else.” About her education at Edinboro, she says "The education provided by both my undergraduate and graduate programs have proven invaluable to obtaining my dream job. It never ceases to amaze me how my educational experience has created such a well-rounded background to be able to connect with and reach each of my assigned clients in unique ways. I was taught to think „outside the box‟ which has helped me think and react in critical ways which are needed in my field. The one defining piece of advice I would have for adult students of Edinboro is to get involved on campus. The unique complications adult students face on a day-to-day basis creates a divide between the individual roles as adult and student. But it is possible to find ways to become involved in student life which will enhance your learning experience in more ways than you can imagine!"
DID YOU KNOW?
Adult Student Services 405 Scotland Road 211 Pogue Student Center Edinboro, PA 16444 Phone: 814-732-2701 Fax: 814-732-2909 E-mail: adultstudents@edinboro.edu http://adult.edinboro.edu
Adult students aged 25 and older account for 41% of enrollment in degree-granting institutions.
There are more women in college today than men.
The enrollment of adult students is increasing at a higher rate than traditionalaged students.
Over 50% of all adult college students work part- or full-time.
Professors enjoy teaching adult students and adult students often get high grades.
The most common fears among adult students are: taking tests, not being able to compete with traditionalaged students, feeling like a misfit, and not being able to afford college.
Information taken from: National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Fast Facts. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=98 Siebert, A., Gilpin, B. & Karr, M. (2008). The Adult Student’s Guide to Survival & Success. Portland: Practical Psychology Press.