Today’s 'freshmen' are rewriting the rules on the college experience
If you think of a “college freshman” as a dorm-dwelling 18-year-old, think again. Instead consider a 52-year-old grandmother of four … a 26-year-old high school dropout … a 23-year old Army National Guard sergeant back from the Middle East … a 34-year old immigrant from Mexico. These are truly the students of today.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C.—When Rodney Owens graduated from high school in 1991, his choice seemed clear: go to a four-year college or get a job. Now, decades later, he realizes there are other options, and he’s made it his mission to let young high school graduates know that.
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SEATTLE—Cesar Ivan Fernandez always thought that if he could get back to school, his life would be better. After dropping out of college, working in several jobs, moving frequently, getting married and trying for years to clarify his immigration status, Fernandez returned to school in 2015 at Seattle Central College. He is now on track […]
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AUSTIN, Texas—Marcia McCallum graduated from high school in 1983. She decided to continue her education 29 years later. A lot of life happened in between.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Chris Mulford was deployed to Jordan and Kuwait with the North Carolina Army National Guard when he decided he needed to plan for the future.
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SEATTLE—Maliaka White was scared. A single mother of two, she suddenly found herself out of work. That’s when she decided she would try again—for the fourth time—to further her education.
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AUSTIN, Texas—Sometimes it just takes a change of scene to change a life. Just ask José Cancino.
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STANLEY, N.C.—Nicholas Kwiatkowski gave his younger brother, Lukas, his first job. Lukas later returned the favor, showing Nick a path to a career.
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Lumina President and CEO Jamie Merisotis cherishes the memory of his own college experience, yet he knows it's being shared by fewer and fewer of today's students.
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Editing | David S. Powell
Editorial assistance | Ruth Holladay
Photography | Shawn Spence Photography
Design & development | IronGate Creative
Multimedia production | Matthew Jenkins
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Today’s 'freshmen' are rewriting the rules on the college experience
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