Julia Hawkins
Equinox Staff
Keene State College senior Christine Bryan will be graduating with a degree in communications and philosophy.
Out of 90 of the interviewed students, Christine belongs to the one third of those who are non traditional students, in other words, a student who is older than 25.
Christine works for the food service on campus, which has allowed her to experience the daily life here at KSC firsthand.
These everyday interactions with students sparked Christine’s motivation which soon led her to take classes here at Keene State.
Christine said, “It really, really moved me how much they care and the relationships that develop and I felt like I would love to have that in my life.”
Christine’s priorities are finishing school and graduating with this year’s class. Transfering to Keene State and interacting with college students much younger than herself wasn’t easy. “It was terrifying,” Christine said.
However, some students find that middle age is the perfect time to tackle grad school, said Kirsten Weir with the American Psychological Association (APA).
APA studies say that it is easier for those of more experience in life to have a better understanding and skill towards balance and priorities, which is why attending graduate school later in life can be beneficial to one’s education.
She said she has experienced support during her time at Keene State College.
Like anybody else, she has access to all support systems that are there to help her excel and make good decisions. After graduating from KSC, Christine plans to go forth and continue her education in communications and philosophy.
Christine’s interactions with other students has also made a great impact on her life here in Keene.
Christine said she has learned that everyone here is accepting of her age and is very friendly towards her.
After attending Keene State College for 2 years, Christine’s takeaways are the amazing connections people make and the healthy relationships everyone builds with each other. Christine found that her relationships with her faculty and peers was quite outstanding. Christine said, “The most amazing connections among the faculty and genuine support and concern for the students is what I love most about Keene State College”. Her connections here are what is going to make her experience most memorable, and inspire other middle aged adults to return back to school and finish their degrees and education.
Julia Hawkins can be contacted at
jhawkins@kscequinox.com
