At the Crossroads: My Adult Learner Story

By Terri Cummings

Adult learners are a distinct group of individuals ages 25 and up who bring diverse perspectives to the table through our experiences, knowledge, and skills that we picked up along the way. There are millions of us in the United States, though each and every one of us has a unique and special story to share about our journey to becoming an adult learner.

My journey was a result of “life happened.” I have a hunch that many adult learners can relate. Life can take so many unexpected twists and turns that lead us to a crossroads and the opportunity to make life-changing decisions as we find a way forward. In my case, a divorce and subsequently becoming a single parent was the crossroads. Fortunately, a great friend planted a seed with the idea of going back to college.

At best, I was an average student when finishing high school. Community college was the next step after graduation, but I lacked direction and ended up spending more than a decade in the workforce. The notion of going back to college felt a bit uncomfortable, but my gut told me to follow through.

15 years later, community college was again the first stop on my journey. I was able to get my feet wet in my new role as a student and build confidence that I was tremendously lacking at the time. After earning a human resources management certificate from Guilford Technical Community College, I began to look for transfer options. One night while watching television, a commercial caught my eye. I’m sure many of you reading this blog may remember the Southern New Hampshire University bus traveling across the county to deliver diplomas to graduates of online degree programs. Was this a real thing?

Initially, I was a little skeptical but decided that I had nothing to lose by checking it out. SNHU checked all the boxes by being nonprofit and regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. I learned the university has deep roots that stem back to 1932. It is a real-deal university with traditional on-campus programs and championship-winning NCAA Division II sports teams. What set SNHU apart from other universities was its innovation and a futuristic vision. The university and its now retired president, Paul LeBlanc, are pioneers in bringing accredited and accessible online degree programs to adult learners across the country. (Note: Paul LeBlanc will be a keynote speaker at CAEL’s 2024 annual conference, in October).

Only one box left to check: Would they have the program I was seeking? Industrial-organizational psychology was of interest, and I was sure that I could apply the knowledge as I was building a career in human resources, but I was having a hard time finding this program online and from an accredited university. Turns out, SNHU offered a program that was even better! A B.S. in business studies with a concentration in industrial organizational psychology. Earning a degree that would offer a foundation in business with a focus in I-O psychology was well aligned with my career trajectory.

When I refer to my adult learner experience as a journey, I mean it in every sense of the word. Juggling parenting, a full-time career, and simultaneously working on specialty certifications in HR was a lot to manage. I’ve never possessed the “Cs get degrees” mindset and wanted to follow through to the best of my ability. Going back to college had a different meaning than my first attempt at community college directly after high school. I had skin in the game this time. My education would have a substantial impact on my future and that of my son.

Course credits from my time at community college were able to transfer as elective credits. A CAEL program called LearningCounts extended the opportunity to submit portfolios that demonstrated knowledge gained from professional experiences and allowed me to earn up to nine additional elective credits. (Note: CAEL retired Learning Counts in 2020 and now offers Credit Predictor Pro to help institutions maintain a seamless and standardized CPL intake process for students, faculty, and staff.) Things were coming along but as a part-time student, it took almost five years to complete my bachelor’s degree. Nonetheless, in June 2017 I proudly walked the stage as a first-generation college student and graduated summa cum laude at SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The time I spent at SNHU brought value and meaning to my adult learner journey. Any experience is what you make of it, and this goes double for the online adult learner. Despite my being an online student, the university did an amazing job of keeping me connected and engaged. John Gonsalves was a remarkable advisor, whom I was finally able to meet in person at the graduation reception. Touring campus and seeing all that SHNU had to offer to on-site students was such a highlight in that phase of my adult learner journey.

By this point, being an adult learner had become a lifestyle of sorts. I had figured out how to integrate formal learning into my day-to-day life. My personal and professional goals had evolved while at SNHU. I now wanted to earn a master’s degree so that I could one day teach and consult. While I was in the adult learner groove, I made the decision to continue my education and enrolled in a master’s program at Louisiana State University.

At LSU, I was immersed in a program, M.S. in leadership and human resource development with a concentration in workforce development, that supported not only the work that I was doing in human resource management but opened new insight into the significance of learning and development within an organization. Collaborating with award-winning professors and other professionals on their adult learner journeys was such an elevating experience. Once again, it took a bit longer as a part-time student, but I completed the program in a little over two years.

It was almost a decade from community college certificate to master’s degree. Looking back, it’s still sometimes hard to wrap my head around the experience. Not only did I earn the degrees, but in the true spirit of the adult learner, I persevered and proved to myself what I was made of.

The irony of my adult learner journey is that my teaching and consulting aspirations came along a bit sooner than expected. My career came full circle in 2020 when I was given the opportunity to teach as an adjunct instructor in the HR management program that I had entered almost a decade earlier at Guilford Technical Community College. Today, my adjunct teaching endeavors also include higher ed institutions Forsyth Technical Community College and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

My whole career has evolved immensely since becoming an adult learner. In addition to adjunct teaching, I’m a proud member of the award-winning team at my local chamber of commerce, Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. As for the aspiration to consult, I jumped all in and started my consulting business, Level Up Solutions HRD LLC, that I continue to cultivate on a project-by-project basis. People always ask me how I manage these professional endeavors, and I think it all goes back to discovering how to integrate school, work, and life as an adult learner.

Becoming an adult learner is a huge undertaking. It’s so much more than simply taking classes. Whether we do it for the promotion at work, to launch our careers, or for sheer self-development, adult learners are lifelong learners with the desire to make a difference in the world around them and create a positive impact in their own lives.

If you are thinking of taking the leap and becoming an adult learner, know that the journey is unique to the individual. What resulted in a master’s degree for me may result in an associate degree or specialty credentialing for you. It all depends on your career aspirations.

Make sure to do your due diligence. Research the best schools and programs that offer what you are seeking. It’s okay if you are unsure. Remember, it’s a journey. Work with a career coach or a student success professional at the higher ed institution that you’re considering. Use networking to your advantage and identify other adult learners. Ask them if they would be willing to answer your questions and offer recommendations. Like the great friend who planted the seed of going back to college at a pivotal time in my life, taking advice from the people who are where you want to be is a sure way to determine how to proceed at the crossroads.

Terri Cummings is the vice president of talent and workforce for Greater Winston-Salem, Inc., where she leads alignment and collaboration efforts with industry and education partners, including talent development initiatives such as Forsyth Works, internships, and career-readiness training.