by Rebecca Hightower
I remember my first day of orientation in the fall semester of 2009. I was in my mid-thirties and felt like I would stick out like a sore thumb among the fresh-faced 18- and 19-year-olds in my undergraduate courses. I recall wishing there was a t-shirt or button that I could wear explaining my delay in getting my degree, something showing I had served six years in the military, had a child, had a successful but unfulfilling career, and simply wanted to learn more and finish my degree.
Not one to do anything half-heartedly, I worked full-time and carried a full-time course load, doing homework on the sidelines of my daughter’s soccer games, deferring housework to my partner, and counting the days between semesters. It wasn’t easy, but it certainly wasn’t as hard as some of the tasks I had to do in the military, and seeing my family’s pride when I graduated in 2011 with my B.A. in anthropology was more than worth it.
Adult learners and student veterans come to college with different needs than a traditional student, and I am excited to say that the University of West Georgia has committed itself to recognizing those needs and will be celebrating the opening of the new Center for Adult Learners and Veterans on Veterans Day, November 11, 2014. The Center is located on the second floor of the UCC in room 311, right next to Subway.
The Center will function as a one-stop-shop for non-traditional students and veterans and their dependents, providing a convenient study lounge space staffed with knowledgeable professionals who can help navigate the veterans benefit paperwork, academic services, and professional networks. The most important benefit of the Center? No student will feel the need for a t-shirt or button to fit in. It is a place where adults and veteran students can converse with others who have taken a different, sometimes much longer, path to becoming a college student.
For more information on the Center for Adult Learners and Veterans, please join Associate Vice President for Student Life & Dean of Students Dr. Alicia Caudill and Interim Director Sherry Robinson for an open house from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11. The ribbon cutting ceremony will be at 3:30 p.m.
I hope to see you there.
Rebecca Hightower is a communications specialist in University Communications and Marketing and serves on the steering committee for the Center for Adult Learners and Veterans.
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