{"id":213105,"date":"2023-07-26T10:32:49","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T14:32:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/?p=213105"},"modified":"2023-07-26T13:27:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T17:27:02","slug":"degree-completion-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/2023\/07\/26\/degree-completion-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Our Adult Learners"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c<\/span>The <\/span>Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies<\/span> program is critical to Montclair\u2019s dual mission of creating access points to a college education, and of servingness to the community,\u201d <\/span>stated <\/span>Danielle Insalaco-Egan<\/span>, acting associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of University College. \u201cEach [graduate] has a unique story that led them to the program. We have military personnel, folks with long careers in industry, retirees, and so many other students committed to \u2018finishing what they started.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at some of the recent graduates:<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Taite \u201923<\/h3>\n
Taite served as the commencement speaker for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Nursing and University College on May 23, 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Chris Taite \u201923 left Montclair State in 2012, he promised his father that one day he would return. Years went by. \u201cIt was something that ate at me,\u201d he said, but his focus had been elsewhere at the time. \u201cI had people depending on me, and I didn\u2019t have enough money, so after three years of school, I decided to leave for a job,\u201d he recalls.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Intent on helping his family financially, he landed a job with Con Edison, where his father was employed. Taite had grown up watching his father, who came to the U.S. from Panama as a child, work hard to provide for his family.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, Taite says, his father urged him to apply for a supervisory position. \u201cLast year, I applied and became a supervisor, someone with just a high school diploma.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon after, he states, \u201cI got an email from Montclair saying, \u2018Hey, come back to school\u2019 \u2026 At 17, 18, I wasn\u2019t ready for Montclair, but at 30, Montclair reached out and said, \u2018Hey we\u2019re ready for you.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Taite resolved to complete his degree. \u201cWhen I first went to school, I didn\u2019t go for myself or for me wanting to be there. Later, \u2026I wanted to be there. I wanted to challenge myself and finish what I started.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although he was determined, the path to success had its challenges. Taite recalls once, while supervising a crew making repairs four stories underground, having to scramble to find cell phone service so that he could use his phone as a hotspot for his laptop. Wearing his hard hat, he sat on some stairs, completed a paper that was due that day and submitted it. He was pleased when his professor commented that he liked a specific section of his paper. \u201cI thought, \u2018You have no idea what I had to go through just to hit submit\u2026 so it\u2019s good to get that feedback.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Taite has earned his BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Humanities. He includes the degree-completion program staff among those he counts in his corner, and already he is talking about pursuing a master\u2019s degree. \u201cThe support from [University College Associate Dean] Daphne Galkin and [Assistant Director for Degree Completion Programs] Jane [Sanchez Swain] has instilled this confidence in me. Jane saying a simple, \u2018I\u2019m proud of you,\u2019 puts an extra battery in my pack.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking ahead, he remarks: \u201cHaving this new degree opens a whole new world to me. Who knows? I might climb the corporate ladder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lauren Tiemers \u201923<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lauren Tiemers \u201923 had completed 50 credits at Passaic County Community College when she decided to put her studies on pause. \u201cIt just wasn\u2019t the right time. I didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do. I was just about to turn 20; I had switched my major a few times.\u201d She also had a busy life which included working full-time as a pre-school teaching assistant and traveling. \u201cI spent some time in California and was considering moving there, but I decided against it and returned to New Jersey.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fast forward a few years and she had her son. \u201cI was a full-time mom and lucky enough to stay home with him for the first few years of his life. By the time he was about two years old, I decided to finish out my degree.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiemers did some research and found the BLS program to be a perfect fit. \u201cI knew I wanted to be in the education field and saw that there was a concentration in Education, so I decided to do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Education has been a calling for Tiemers. \u201cAll my working life, I did something in education,\u201d she says. \u201cBefore I had a degree, I worked in childcare \u2026 I\u2019ve been a tutor and a nanny. Everything centered around education. I knew that I potentially wanted to teach high school and gave it a try by subbing. From that, I learned high school is not for me. While in the BLS program, I became interested in the higher education field.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now recently graduated, Tiemers is working as a substitute teacher in her local school district while looking for a full-time position. She cites the incredible support offered through the BLS program in helping her to complete the program. \u201cI had an academic advisor who was available for me whenever I needed. Even when I didn\u2019t reach out to her, she would reach out via Zoom meetings and calls to make sure I was on track for graduation. If there [were] any issues with a class, she would help me find something more suitable.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tiemers continues to receive support from the program. Her academic advisor helped her look at sites to find jobs in higher education. Prior to that, Montclair\u2019s Career Services helped her with her resume. When asked what the program has meant to her, she simply notes, \u201cThis program has meant everything to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Keith Ryan \u201923<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keith Ryan \u201923 was working for a retailer that was in decline when he learned about the BLS program. \u201cI was concerned for their future as my own. Coupled with the fact that it had long bothered me that I had not completed my degree, the timing could not have been more perfect.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ryan<\/span> received his Associate of Arts degree in May 1999 at County College of Morris and went on to enroll at Montclair State University in the Spring of 2003. However, his circumstances were not ideal for finishing his degree. \u201cAt the time I lived alone, working full-time to support my education,\u201d he shares. \u201cMoney became tight, external personal stressors could no longer be ignored and ultimately life with all its distractions further distanced me from resuming my studies.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The BLS program was exactly what he needed to get back on track. \u201cHonestly part of my hesitation to restart my journey at [Montclair] was the overwhelming uncertainty of where or how to begin. The step by step guidance and support I received put those feelings immediately at ease.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ryan earned his degree with a concentration in Humanities and minors in both Sociology and Classics. Now, he is the director of Logistics for a home goods supplier. When asked about the future, he says his plans are \u201cto continue to be a good student to all the things yet to learn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Caring for Our Students and the Community<\/h3>\n

Jane Sanchez Swain, assistant director for degree completion programs, works closely with the students.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy hope for this year\u2019s graduates is that they continue to embrace the spirit of lifelong learning and keep reaching for their goals,\u201d she says. \u201cThis achievement shows that it is never too late to accomplish your dreams and explore new opportunities both personally and professionally. They will always have a special place at Montclair and I hope that they stay in touch!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As for the future of the BLS program, Insalaco-Egan notes that they have exceeded their target enrollment for this program since its inception. She states this \u201cdemonstrates its value within the state and the region, and my hope is that we will continue to fulfill our promise of offering a pathway to degree completion for all students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To learn more about the program, visit: <\/span>Bachelor Of Arts In Liberal Studies \u2013 University College – Montclair State University<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You May Also Like:<\/h3>\n

Finishing What They Started<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Fulfilling Dreams and Promises<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Hats Off to the Class of 2023<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The path to completing a college degree can take many routes, and this past May, we welcomed to our alumni community the first cohort of graduates from a new, accelerated degree program offered through University College. Launched in Fall 2021, the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies is designed for adults over the age of 25 who are returning to college to complete their degree. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":326,"featured_media":213116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-213105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-76_alumni-news-and-events","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213105"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213139,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213105\/revisions\/213139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}