The traditional educational model does not work for all
Graduation season is upon us and as we celebrate, it’s important to also remember that the traditional model of higher education is exclusionary for millions of Californians, particularly those of us who are from first-generation immigrant families, who grow up in rural settings, or other under-resourced communities.
After high school, I enrolled in community college because that’s what everyone else was doing and my hard-working parents dreamed that my life would be better because of their sacrifices. After starting school, I quickly realized this traditional path was not for me. I had to work jobs with limited growth opportunities to attend day classes. I struggled to keep up, stopped learning, and eventually, I dropped out.
Thankfully, I got a job working as an executive coordinator at a local hospital where I discovered a passion for the medical industry. Seeing patients and hearing their stories inspired me to want to do more to help. I knew I needed a degree to do this and thankfully a coworker referred me to nonprofit Western Governors University, an online university founded by 19 U.S. governors. Now in its 25th year, WGU pioneered a competency-based online learning model, making higher education more equitable and accessible, especially for busy adults.
But unfortunately, California limits financial aid access for those attending fully online, nonprofit universities, leaving many adult learners like me to take on expensive student loans or skip college altogether. Just in the Central Valley, two of every three adults over 25 years old do not have a college degree.
For me, the flexibility and support of the online model were critical to my success. Some concepts were easy to pick up with reading, and for the subjects I struggled with, I could move at a pace that allowed me to retain what I was learning and utilize visual models or videos that worked with my learning style. This virtual learning model improved my experience and truly opens up higher education to a wider array of our population — allowing for classes with people of different ages, backgrounds, fields and experience levels.
I also was assigned a mentor. For those without strong family support or an academic background, having support and guidance can make a meaningful difference in your success. My mentor, Samantha, was my cheerleader and the angel on my shoulder helping me set goals and stay accountable. She was with me the entire way, checking in on me once, sometimes twice a week. When I wanted to quit, she encouraged me to stay engaged, and I wouldn’t have made it without her.
And while my school was affordable for me, without state financial support, so many adults are forced to take out student loans or are unable to go to college. Like many of my adult-learner peers, I had to work full-time to pay my way and needed the flexibility to go at my own pace. I didn’t fail like I did when I was in traditional college because I could slow down when my job demanded more focus or I had a big work deadline.
I am proud to be a double graduate of WGU, with a bachelor’s in Science Healthcare Management and an MBA in Healthcare Administration. I’m using my skills to transform the way we are delivering holistic healthcare to under-resourced communities. I’m passionate about innovating new ways to proactively treat the whole person including their medical, social and mental well-being through addressing their social determinants of health to improve quality of life.
All the hard work is paying off, and my education is opening up doors for me that I never imagined possible. As I look back on my journey, working and going to school were extremely stressful. My first job was just above minimum wage and there were times that I wasn’t sure I’d make it. Though my story is not unique, there is a way to ease the burden for many future adult learners. I appreciate our senator, Melissa Hurtado, for advocating and supporting adult learners to have a fair shot at state-funded financial aid, which puts a degree and the American Dream within reach for the people who need it the most.