» By TRENT SINGER – tsinger@my.apsu.edu
There is one common message among each nontraditional college student. “It’s never too late,” said Marian Perron, a part-time nontraditional student and full-time employee at APSU.
Perron is a personnel assistant in Human Resources and vice president of the Non-Traditional Student Society. Perron said she has not faced any particular hardships as a nontraditional student
“Fortunately for me, because I have that rich tradition in my family, I’ve never felt out of place,” Perron said.
Perron’s story entails a family tradition of nontraditional students. In 1927, at age 14, Perron’s mother had to drop out of high school to stay at home and care for her ill mother.
“She always felt like she was inferior to the rest of the family because she was the only one without a high school education,” Perron said.
At 68, Perron’s mother received her GED and went on to graduate from SUNY Cobleskill. She was the oldest matriculated student at that time. However, the family tradition didn’t end there.
“This past spring, my uncle, who is her brother, graduated from Keene State with his bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology at the age of 94,” Perron said.
As a former New York City police officer and World War II pilot, Perron’s uncle chose to pursue a college education almost 20 years after the average U.S. male expectancy age.
“He had the opportunity to go to school and learn. It’s just the focus on learning and not being content and continually learning,” Perron said.
Following graduation, Perron’s uncle informed her that he now plans to pursue his master’s degree.
Perron thinks highly of being a nontraditional student at APSU. “My experience here has been fabulous. First, because I’m an employee, so I have that aspect of life and co-working at APSU. Plus, my experience as a student has been very good,” Perron said.
Perron is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies. She has attended APSU for a year now.
As an active nontraditional student, she hopes her story might inspire some of those who have always wanted to pursue college, but have never taken the opportunity to further their education.
“As a nontraditional student, we enrich the classes because of our experiences and what we can bring in that students who are younger don’t yet have,” Perron said. TAS
David DiNanno
Well, before I read this article I thought I might be one a handful of people attempting to complete a college degree, but apparently not.
My reason for returning to school is one that probably many unemployed people face. I had a long term career in health care information technology. The company I worked for downsized in 2006 and I lost my management position. I worked odd jobs over the next few years. Several interviews with no job offers in information technology positions brought me to 2010 where I decided to complete a college degree program started many, many years ago. I kept hearing that I had no certifications or college degree and was not as qualified as other candidates from the job interviewers.
Now I am a non-traditional student at APSU. My classes are mostly on-line. Whenever I do come to the APSU campus I feel so out-of-place. All those young people running around and them saying, “Sir, or Mister, where is ….?” is a cold reflection of how old I have become and not finished college. Now I’m driven even more to fit in and finish that degree started long ago. Hopefully, one day, I will not hear, “Sir, or Mister, you are not as qualified as our candidates…”.
David DiNanno
June Knight
David,
You are welcome to join our society, NTSS, and to surround yourself with other like-minded individuals. We are proud of you for taking the big step to achieve your dreams! Have you seen the movie, “Larry Crowne”? His story is EXACTLY like yours! Our website is http://apsuntss.org. Check us out! 🙂