Nontraditional Students
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Please scroll down to read additional stories that have been featured on our website.


My Story by Melissa

Date: September 25, 2008

I was married and became a mother at a young age. Neither one of us had a college education. When my husband left us, I struggled as a single mom to work whatever jobs I qualified for to support us. I realized that in order to make a better life for my son and myself, I would need to go back to school and earn a degree.

When my son was five years old and started school, I went back to school too. I started my education at Grand Rapids Community College. I was a nontraditional student and a single parent. I had to work part time and go to school part time to be able to make ends meet. Although I qualified for federal grants and financial aid, it was barely enough to cover the cost of tuition and books. I found out that I qualified for scholarships due to my status as a nontraditional student along with my excelling academic performance. It was these scholarships that would carry me through my education.

After completing my courses through GRCC, I was accepted into Grand Valley State University’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography program. It was a competitive program to get in to, and out of 50-plus applicants I was one of only four who were accepted. I received numerous scholarships from Grand Valley based on my nontraditional student status and my academic performance. And again, it was those scholarships and the financial support from Grand Valley that would see me through to the completion of my degree.

Today, I am proud to say that I recently graduated from Grand Valley State University on April 26 with my Bachelor Degree in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences emphasizing in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Along the way, I earned my Associate of Science from Grand Rapids Community College, making dean’s list all semesters, and graduating with a 3.9 GPA as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honorary Society with final induction into the Delta Pi Alpha Honorary Society, earning my place among the top 5% of my graduating class of 2006. Upon graduation at Grand Valley, I achieved dean’s list, again, all semesters, a 3.85 GPA, and induction into the Phi Kappa Phi, earning my place among the top 10% of 100’s of schools, including Ivy League schools, nationwide. The biggest achievement, however, is the fact that I was able to graduate already registered having passed all of the required national board exams to be an official RDMS (Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer). I can only thank Grand Valley State University for that, because, without their new Bachelor program for Ultrasound, it would not have been possible.

I couldn’t have done it without all of the tremendous support that I received from numerous scholarship donors and the financial support I received from Grand Valley. Grand Valley gave me help and encouragement to achieve my dreams. It is schools like Grand Valley State University and people like scholarship donors that give nontraditional students the hope and encouragement to persevere and overcome their obstacles to reach their dreams of making a better life for their families and children so that they may have a brighter future.

by Melissa Culbertson

A Non-Traditional Triumph - Robert's Story

Date: September 8, 2008

A Non-Traditional Triumph
by Robert Robinson
 
Okay, okay. So I now have an official title for the type of student it seems I always was and no, I don’t mean bad. It’s “non-traditional”. Although it could mean bad too, but in my case, not. Anyway, our society always seems to be more at ease when it can put things where they belong or label them so they seem to fit. Fit what, I have no clue but it’s nice to know that all of us fit somehow or somewhere. Hence the need for a label or title to describe those of us who just didn’t seem to be a “Normal” go to college directly from high school, stay there for four years, graduate, get a job, succeed then die, with a few other smaller additions to the plan like marriage, kids, etc….Back when I first started college simply being bald seemed to have set me apart as a “non-traditional” student. But today, in our “niche” society, more and more students are becoming “non-traditional” 
So, thinking about college in those terms, exactly who is a “traditional” student anymore? I don’t know of too many students who can finish a career education in four years today without attending year round and getting tons of financial assistance from parents, banks, governments, loan sharks or whatever. It just seems that every way our society has changed in the last twenty years or so has caused more young people to seek a “different” way to obtain a college degree.
In order to pay for the skyrocketing tuition fees and housing , many young students are working more to help defray the costs. One problem with this approach is the tendency to burden oneself with responsibilities at the job that can get in the way of the school. For instance, getting to and from work requires transportation which means you have to pay for the wheels, insurance, gas, (maybe this should be capitalized now since the cost seems to have driven the term into proper noun territory.), etc…..
If the student doesn’t live on campus, (and how many “non-traditional” students do?) then housing may also be an issue if the student chooses not to live with the folks anymore, or vice versa. Not living off the parents anymore can also lead to an incredible costly venture of feeding oneself. This too, may be a drag on the life course of the “non-traditional” student requiring additional time at work in order to “pay the bills“. This additional time at work also means less time available for the studies and classes. And as we continue to breathe, it gets harder and harder to go back to school to get that magical degree which will make everything fine and life so much simpler.
Beyond all of these so called normal drains on the resources and time for the students is a situation I personally found to be enormously difficult. It seemed that it should have been easier to find a degree which would have fit with the job I was working at outside the school but, as is the case with so many in our present society, my job kept changing and forcing me to change with it. I must have changed my major a hundred and thirty times before I finally had enough credits in one area of study to obtain a degree. After nineteen years and over 200 credits I finally received a degree in International Relations with a ton of extra study in Nursing, Accounting, Business, and on and on. The beauty of this wonderful education is being able to hold a decent conversation in just about any topic. And just in time to retire.
It’s nice to “know” from the outset exactly what you want to be and what it’s going to take to get you there. Anyone who doesn’t fit into this last statement seems destined to become………“Non-Traditional”!
Copyright © 1995 - 2009 Gran

Staying Within the Margins

Date: July 3, 2008

Staying Within the Margins
Glenna Decker
I am an “adult” learner. I take classes part-time because that’s all I can fit in. I work a full time job to pay my bills and a part time job to feed my passion (and help pay bills). I have family obligations, the guilt of “I should get more involved” in volunteering as I used to, and the look of a deer-in-headlights over the price of gas and all things. Even if I really wanted to sell my house, I couldn’t in this economy. What a tough time to try to have any sense of balance! Of course, as nontraditional learners, we probably already know that there is no such thing as balance. I just try to stay in the margins.
So, you know what I did? In the midst of chaos, exhaustion, and barely enough time to enjoy a nice meal, I went and rescued a dog. She’s a Beagle, about a year-and-a-half old, still acts like a puppy, was clearly abused and has major issues, is not housebroken, and has more energy than I muster even in my fantasies. What was I thinking? I don’t need companionship or a maternal outlet – I need quiet space to write papers that are about to be overdue. I can’t say that she’s harder to manage than a toddler is, but she sure runs faster! I have a dog that has taken over my life. I spend more time reading about proper human/canine relationships and training than on course content.
The point is that life gets in the way. Being a student is one very small aspect of my life. It’s demanding and I feel the pressure – constantly. As an adult, I guess we get used to feeling pressures as a way of life – the mortgage, car payment (hmmm…sell the car and save on gas!), utilities, credit cards, a family vacation, and every little and big thing that emerges during the day. It would be much easier on me if I decided to eliminate at least one pressure and take time off from classes. But I don’t. I won’t. Why? Because what I ultimately hope for my life and for my future depends on the decisions I make now. The investment of my time and hard-earned tuition dollars is my best investment in me. My education contributes to the quality of my life and the legacy I leave my family. On days (and there are many) when I struggle to fit in the required reading or writing assignment, I consider my commitment to what I deserve and that helps me to stay in the margin between the load of life and the power to persevere. When that is too challenged, then I will look for the resources that I can use to find some respite. There are a lot listed on this website. If you look to the navigation bar to “Grand Valley Resources”, check out the many links under Academic Support and Student Support. Those resources are available to all GVSU students. There are also a few external resources under Adult and Nontraditional Student Resources.
The thing is, we aren’t in this on our own – or at least we don’t have to be. Sometimes that little extra nudge of support or understanding is enough to keep us within the margins. Plus, I have a little Beagle who is so happy to see me come home that her face shines and her body shakes with excitement as I come up the walkway. She’s a never-ending reminder of what’s most important in life. I guess that’s what I was thinking.
  Last Modified Date: June 6, 2009
Copyright © 1995 - 2009 Grand Valley State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution