It's never too late

Gloria Evans had her first child two months after graduating from high school. Three children and a husband later, she decided to leave the workforce and go to college to become a teacher.

Evans, who owned a seamstress company for more than 18 years, said a part-time job as a teacher's assistant gave her the inspiration to further her education.

"Instead of working on retirement, I'm working on a career," she said.

Evans said the only drawback to being a non-traditional student is that she always looks back and thinks of how she could have gotten her education out of the way earlier.

Evans is one of many people who choose not to attend college right after high school. The are a myriad of reasons many do not go directly from high school to college. Some decide to have a family first. Others choose to enter the work-force or the military. Some drop out of high school, dashing chances to go to college until a General Educational Development test is passed.

Although adult students have a different set of responsibilities than the typical 20-year-old student, such as families and full- time jobs, those who do choose to attend college later in life may have an advantage over the younger, more traditional students.

Heather Hampton, office coordinator of the Adult and Commuter Services office at The University of Memphis, said adult students can use "life experiences from working in the world and add a broader perspective to learning in a classroom."

Hampton said she sees students come back after raising families. In addition, she said people come back because they want to upgrade from a job to a career or the job they currently hold has been upgraded to requiring a college degree.

She said Adult and Commuter Services offers students a variety of services ranging from support systems to tutoring and help purchasing books.

Not all adult students enrolled in college are just beginning a secondary education. Rachael Grant, a senior majoring in art education, enrolled to become further certified in her field. She said after high school, she enrolled at The U of M with a different major in mind but did not graduate. She started a business, got married and moved to Dyersburg, Tenn., with her husband.

"I have been in the workforce, so I know what's important," she said. "I have a clearer perspective than the traditional student."

Senior Barbara Renfrow, who has a bachelor's degree in professional studies, a master's in liberal studies and is currently taking a post-grad class, moved often after initially enrolling in college. A native of Covington, Tenn., she moved to Memphis to be closer to her fiancé after high school. He was enrolled at The U of M, and Renfrow worked to help put him through college. After his graduation, he joined the Marines, so Renfrow became a military wife, traveling with her husband when possible.

She held various jobs and started an antique shop and tea room, although she said she always wanted to go back to college. Renfrow noted that until she had a family, she did not realize how important education was.

When she came back to Memphis, she said she decided to leave the workforce and concentrate only on college.

"My greatest advantage as an adult student is the fact that I am tenacious, dedicated and prone to succeed," she said.

Renfrow said when she was growing up, women had limited choices after high school. She said she is from a large family that had few resources, so she feels that she has a second chance - something she acknowledged many people do not get.

"When I was younger, women either became secretaries, got married or became nurses," she said. "I went to secretarial school while my husband was at The U of M."

Jian Ping Zhong, senior international business and finance major, said before she left China, she had an engineering degree. She arrived in the United States in 2003 and decided to learn English before entering college here. She said her age and wisdom has proven beneficial in helping younger students deal with their problems. She said she enjoys college life and being around not only the younger generation, but the older generation as well.

The married Zhong said she does not want to work various jobs or be a housewife.

"I have never wanted to stay home or work in a restaurant," she said. "I prefer education."

Starting families and entering the workforce are not the only reasons high school students do not further their education. Many drop out of high school.

According to a Department of Education study, however, drop-out rates have declined from 1972 to 2006, when the study was completed.

The study said "approximately 4 out of every 100 high school students nationwide in October 2005 dropped out before October 2006." No data was provided as to why students dropped out.

With the drop-out rate trending downward, the Department of Education is projecting that by the years 2017 to 2018, bachelor degree conferment will increase by 16 percent.