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Earlier this month, I was on the phone with a dear friend of mine, Angelie, who was overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated. She was trying to go back to college after a few decades out of school, and she likened the process to facing down a tsunami. Because of my own recent adventures in getting back to college, I understood how she felt. For a new student, applying to college can feel like a towering wall of information, choice, and paperwork to wade through. Angelie felt like she was going it alone.

Like me, Angelie is a non-traditional student. She’s 15 years into her career at Colquitt Regional Medical Center, a workplace that she loves. On top of that, she has a part-time job and she sings and attends two different churches on Sunday mornings. Her life is already full to bursting. Understandably, one of the most important criteria for her to go back to college is convenience of classes so that she can squeeze school into an already packed schedule. Discouraged by what started to feel like an unsurmountable task, she was nearly ready to give up her dream of finally going back to college. But I knew a very important tidbit of information about Southern Regional Technical College that she did not: At SRTC, the faculty and staff are ready and willing to go above and beyond to help each student find success. I asked her to meet me at my office here at SRTC the next day so that I could introduce her to some of the fantastically helpful people here.

Our first stop was by Dana Lewis’ office. Dana is our Career Services Coordinator here, and she has a special knack for listening to students and then guiding them to discover career and college paths that they may not have even considered or thought possible. After listening to Angelie, Dana had some smart insights on classes that would fit Angelie’s career goals right away, without having to move her schedule around. As a group, we had some questions about how Angelie’s financial aid would line up with the classes that she was considering, so we all popped over into Judi Lovvorn’s office. Judi is the Executive Director of Financial Aid here on campus, and she was quickly able to offer some great advice that will save Angelie over $1,000 in her first semester alone, simply by making some slight adjustments to her course path.

I watched and listened as the sweet friend next to me bloomed from a little squeaky ball of nervous energy back into the confident, smiley, warm Angelie that I know. A quick stop by the sweet ladies of the admissions office, and Angelie was on track and all set to begin her new major. As we walked upstairs to meet her new advisor, Angelie’s smile was infectious. Her advisor listened to her when Angelie explained that she had a tight schedule, and suggested a great mix of on-line and in-person classes that would fit into her week easily, while keeping her on track to reach her degree in the time that Angelie hoped for. Angelie kept looking at me with a giddy mix of excitement and disbelief that college was all working out so seamlessly for her.

When a college is convenient, affordable, and student-focused, earning a degree becomes a matter of simply deciding to do it. I feel so honored to have been a part of watching Angelie’s path transform from an overwhelming tsunami into a sea of possibility right in front of our eyes.