Wife and mother glad she decided to go back to school

by Chuck Gordon

When she started at Wingate in 2022, Amber Collins was glad to be attending lectures in person, after spending the previous two years getting her associate degree online because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But, as a 38-year-old accounting student sitting side-by-side with people in their early 20s, there was some trepidation, too. Unsure how she would fit in, Collins got involved as much as possible and "developed a network of support and friendship."

"Before long," she says, "I felt just like any other college student."

On Saturday, Collins and 22 other business majors will cross the stage in Cuddy Arena to receive their diplomas. In all, 156 graduate students and 117 undergrads will receive degrees during Wingate's fall Commencement ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m.

Getting to this point hasn't been easy for Collins, who got interested in accounting while keeping the books for her husband's lawn-care business. She'd grown up in Union County, and after graduating from Metrolina Christian Academy she enrolled in nursing school.

"Within the first month or so, I realized that was a big mistake," Collins says. She withdrew from school and went on to work a variety of jobs: in childcare, as a secretary in a hospital, as a receptionist in a doctor's office. She left to become a stay-at-home mother when her daughter turned 3, but eventually the pull of higher education became too strong. When her daughter entered kindergarten, Collins decided it was time to go back to school, at South Piedmont Community College.

Unlike many of her peers at SPCC and Wingate, she wasn't able to concentrate entirely on school.

"Not only did I take on the role of a student, but I also had to continue being a wife and mother," she says. "Like most adult learners, my situation is different, and I have several responsibilities to manage along with my schoolwork. However, I wanted to set an example for my daughter that she can accomplish anything with determination and hard work. I had great support from my family, which I attribute to my success."

That success includes earning an award for Outstanding Poster Presentation at this fall's Wellspring Symposium for her exploration of a topic she was understandably interested in: nontraditional students.

Working on a research project as part of the Honors College curriculum, Collins aimed to find out more about the hurdles and benefits of being a nontraditional student. She surveyed 685 Wingate students, including adult degree earners (over the age of 25) and traditional students (ages 18-24).

Her results weren't terribly surprising. The barriers for nontraditional students are numerous. "Because most nontraditional students are working or have a spouse who works, they do not qualify for need-based scholarships, making the cost of education difficult to manage," Collins says. "Nontraditional students also have unique support needs, such as flexible course offerings, like online or evening classes. There is also the difficulty of accessing the business office, financial services, etc., because they operate on a standard work schedule, and these students are often also working."

She found, however, that nontraditional students are persistent and determined and find a way to make it work. They even take advantage of resources geared more toward residential students, often more than their younger peers do.

"Due to schedule conflicts between adult students and the hours of operation for some of the support programs offered at Wingate, it is surprising that most adult students have utilized many of them," she wrote in her conclusion. "It is also interesting that non-traditional students perceived orientation and advising as more helpful than their younger counterparts."

Nontraditional students, she discovered, most often work steady jobs while going to school, and although many go back to school in order to advance in their careers, they are also more motivated by their desire to reach a personal goal (earning a degree) than their younger, more-traditional counterparts are.

Reading literature reviews, analyzing survey results and creating her poster provided Collins with invaluable skills, she says.

"I learned a lot about research that I would not have encountered had it not been for the Honors College," she says, "and I also gained more experience with public speaking at the Wellspring Symposium, which has given me more confidence. I believe the Honors research class will serve me in my future career in accounting because things change so frequently, and most of the time these changes are not black and white. I think I will be able to use the research skills I gained to navigate these changes when performing client work."

Collins spent the summer interning with RSM, a local accounting firm. She said that accounting instructor Richard Cook was instrumental in helping her get her internship.

"He is his students' biggest cheerleader, and I believe he truly enjoys watching us succeed," Collins says. "He always says, 'All you need is one yes!'"

Having gotten a taste of higher education, Collins is reluctant to leave. After graduation, she will enroll in Wingate's Master of Accounting program while working part time for RSM.

"My family is proud of me for returning to school as an adult, earning a degree, and beginning a career in accounting," Collins. "I am 100% happy I did it. I have a bit more to go with completing the master's program, but it will also be worth it."

Dec. 11, 2024

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