Your Turn to Learn

College Fair scheduled for May 31

nes — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:09:11 +0000

The YWCA of the Greater Triangle is planning a “Your Turn to Learn” event, a college fair for the nontraditional student, for Saturday, May 31. See rwc.aauwnc.org for details!

Financial aid resources

nes — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 18:55:34 +0000

The Sunday, August 19, 2007 Raleigh News and Observer had an article “Befuddled by college aid” with links to several resources that help with calculating need, applying for aid, and finding aid sources.

Aside from fafsa.org and cfnc.org which are already highlighted on our Financial Aid Resources page, they mentioned:

www.finaid.com: Established in 1994, this has become one of the most-cited, comprehensive sources of financial aid information.
www.collegeboard.com: Widely cited by high school counselors, the College Board covers topics on the SAT college entrance exam — which it owns and administers — and has aid calculators and tips on avoiding scholarship scams.
www.nclc.org: The National Consumer Law Center site has a section focusing on graduates who accumulated too much debt: Click on “site map,” then “student loans.”

More resources

nes — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:59:19 +0000

AAUW branches in Massachusetts have done a similar event. Their information can be found at www.myturntolearn.net.

Part-time Student Assistance Act (H.R. 2017)

nes — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 20:59:31 +0000

This bill is again before Congress. Let your representatives know that better support for nontraditional students is important!

More details: news.aauwnc.org and www.aauw.org.

Budget

nes — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 22:38:53 +0000

Here’s what we spent to put on the event:

Insurance for Branch ($125) and special event ($115) $240.00

Esther Lumsdon for printing/copy expenses $ 79.72

Nancy Shoemaker for posters/copy expenses $ 64.26

Sir Speedy for brochure copy/fold and other printing $210.08

TOTAL expenses $594.05

We’ve got plenty of extra handouts to take to the AAUW NC convention and to share with others who might be interested — and the posters that the mall used at the entrances to “advertise” the event and direct people to the center court are, at least, good souvenirs…

My Turn to Learn - AAUW MA project

nes — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:39:14 +0000

Pat Bologna, AAUW MA presidents says:

[AAUW MA members] hosted “My Turn to Learn-a College Fair for the Non-Traditional Student” last March. We had many attendees, as well as very interested community collaborative partners. It was a wonderful success for the colleges and potential students. In addition, members from the local branches really enjoyed working together on this partnership project. More info is available at the www.aauw-ma.org/ website under “Special Interest Projects.”

Source files for the event

nes — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 01:14:46 +0000

Here are the source files used for the handouts and such.

Posters for display at the mall (MS Publisher)
These were printed at 22″x28″, laminated and mounted on foam core for display at the mall the week before the event. We were thinking of modifying these, printing at 8.5×11 and then enlarging to 11×17 and laminating to make signs for the tables — but when our number of tables was cut from 3 to 2 we went with tent cards instead of signs.
Brochure v.2.11.07 (MS Publisher)
This is the brochure with a couple of corrections from the version that we used at the event. We splurged and got 100 of these copied in color on heavy, glossy paper. We got another 200 printed on 20# pastel blue.
Financial Aid handout (MS Word)
A primer on key financial aid concepts
Why college? (MS Word)
Overview document to encourage higher education
Tent cards (MS Word)
We used these to identify different parts of the display
Press release (MS Word)
Sent to Raleigh News and Observer, Cary News and WUNC after the event.
Survey (MS Word)
Used to get information on what kinds of things folks want to hear about in future event. Also used as the “ticket” for a drawing for mall gift certificates. No one “joined on the spot,” but we did ask the questions we’d need to fill out a guest list since this could have been considered a Shape the Future event.
Branch membership form (MS Word)
We change this each April and each January to account for dues increases. Note that if someone uses this form to join at the national and state level, we just fill out the at-large form(s) for them and send in the money. But we at least know that they are “connected.”

See also AAUW NC 2002 workshop (based on AAUW 2001 workshop) on how to do a display. We skipped some of the steps, but we did have balloons — great for reeling in the kids and then we could talk to the moms and dads.

Darlene McLamb pulled the pictures used in posters and the banner from the Microsoft Office collection. Steve Davis (Nancy’s husband) assembled the JPG banner from those pictures.

Thanks to all who came on Feb. 10!

nes — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 18:15:51 +0000

The Mom’s Turn to Learn booth at the Cary Towne Center on February 10 was a great event — a “college fair for adults”! Our tables had information on area colleges (see the links at the right), financial aid (thanks to the College Foundation of North Carolina), and advertised next Saturday’s FAFSA day at Meredith College. We talked to many shoppers and heard stories like:

My husband’s encouraging me to go back to school and get a certification through Wake Tech. I’ve completed the prerequisite courses and am waiting to hear if I’ve been accepted into the program — I’ll hear in May.
My mother’s been out of work for a couple of years and is now up for a job where she meets all the qualifications — except that they’d prefer to hire a college graduate, and she’s just about a year short of finishing that degree. I’ll take the information and encouragement to her.

We did a survey to find out what kinds of things people want to hear more about. When we’ve analyzed the results, we’ll post the information here. In the meantime, if you’d like to have us bring our information to an event/location in your area, let us know. [In particular, we talked to several people from Harnett County which has no AAUW branch of its own, so we could reach out there, too.] Three surveys were selected and we’re sending $25 gift certificates to those people. If you’d like to find out if you’re a winner, please contact us.
If you missed the event, here’s a list of the handouts we prepared.

Brochure
Financial aid tips
How education and income are linked
Facts about access to higher education (from the WUNC NC Voices series on Considering College; used with permission)

Other handouts included:

Many booklets and fliers from www.cfnc.org, including FAFSA Day on Feb. 17
Information from almost all the schools listed on the right
The October 2006 education supplement to the Raleigh News and Observer giving an overview of different schools. [See the web version of the supplement.]

If you’d like to help us get the word out about this topic, please contact us for more information on how we can partner with you and your organization! Those who have already completed at least an associate’s or equivalent degree are invited to join AAUW or learn more about the Raleigh/Wake County branch!

See also the press release for the event.

Check back soon for resources that can be used to replicate the event and tips from our planning committee.

Goals deferred; Goals achieved

nes — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 03:35:07 +0000

From the Fifties to Fifty

As a young woman on the cusp of adulthood when I graduated from highschool in 1954, college was my goal, but NOT my ultimate goal. I wanted to get married and have a home and a family. I was dating a wonderful guy, to whom I would become engaged to within a year or so. He would graduate from UNC in June of 1957. If I matriculated in four years, I would not graduate until 1958. We decided that our timetable for getting married would be determined by his graduation and his desire to join the Air Force and become a pilot. That was all well and good at the time. Most of my friends were doing the same. Those that did go on to finish college, did so because their lives were on a different time-table; i.e., they had boyfriends who would not graduate for four years, or they had no marriage plans.

This plan for my life was all well and good, primarily because I truly wanted marriage and a family, but there were other reasons that contributed to my decision. My parents were struggling to pay my tuition. By my second year, if I had mixed emotions about marrying and not finishing college, they were quelled by the knowledge that my parents really couldn’t afford to send me. Marriage was a wonderful option.

By the time I reached my 42nd or 43rd year, I had achieved my goal of marriage and a family. My husband was very successful running a family engineering business, and I had gained community status as a club woman in various civic organizations. Our sons were finishing up their college educations, but our youngest child, a daughter, had taken us on a harrowing journey through her battle with congenital scoliosis. In 1978, she had a full spinal fusion and was in a body cast for a whole year.

Prior to that, I had taken many short, non-credit, writing courses, intent on learning how to write well. As a reader, I knew that it took more than desire to write to in order to have a book published and appreciated. I wanted both. But writing took a back seat again when my daughter had this life-threatening surgery; that is, until I began writing her story. At the time, very little was known about scoliosis, it was simply called curvature of the spine. If untreated, the prognosis was asymetry of the spine resulting in a large rib hump on the back. Because, hertofore, there had been no public awareness programs for distributing knowledge about this terrible condition that created crippled bodies and shortened life, I decided that a self-help book for families was needed and I was the one to do it.

One thing led to another, but ultimately, I decided that I wanted to finish my college education. I began by entering the continuing education program at NCSU. When it came time to declare a degree, I sought the advice of my husband, who said, “Wait a minute! Are you trying to change our lifestyle? Do you want to go to work?” I tried to tell him that I only wanted to improve my personal life by fulfilling a goal. Working through his angst took a little time, but in the end he was most supportive and I graduated from Meredith College at the age of 50.

So, my advice to those of you who are being held back by economics or fear of one sort or the other: get over it and go for it! You are never too old to learn.

Darlene McLamb’s Story

nes — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:39:15 +0000

In 1974 I was a high school senior. In those days, women did well to graduate from high school, marry young, become a stay-at-home wife, and then a mother. Most girls I knew did not attend college at all. I loved school and learning new things. No one else in my family had graduated from high school, much less college. My father decided that since I liked school so much, I should be the one to have the formal education in the family!

I graduated from high school at mid-term and began attending Midwestern Business College in 1974. I married in 1975, and by 1976, I was expecting our first child. My husband was in the US Army, and we relocated frequently. I was not able to finish the business degree I started in 1974.

Over the next few years I had 3 more children and loved being a stay-at-home mother. I did not want my children raised by someone else and with four young children, day care would have cost me more than what I could earn with little college or work experience! I was not thinking about college at that time; I was enjoying motherhood.

As my children grew older and were all in primary school, I began looking for daytime work. The best option for me at that time was working in restaurants. The job was not difficult, but there were no benefits, no sick days, no retirement, no holidays, no overtime.

While applying for jobs, I found that the better ones required some college and paid a great deal more than others. In 1985 I separated from my husband, had four small children and very little income. I was not receiving child support or alimony and my current income was not enough. I was forced to make a difficult decision: move and start over or stay in an abusive situation. I took a few meager belongings and my four small children (ages eight, six, five and three at that time) and moved to another state. A friend of the family provided some assistance until I found a place to live. At that time I had no funds and was forced to live in public housing.

I looked for a job and applied for government assistance. One of my case workers mentioned a program the state funded where a grant would pay for two years of college education provided I met the requirements. The program enabled me to return to college and complete my associates degree. I changed majors from business to computer technology after I discovered I had an affinity for computers.

I attended college during the daytime while my children were in school. One of the college faculty members sponsored me for an additional grant and the work-study program. With these additional resources, I was able to move out of the public housing and rent a small house for me and my children. At that time I had no transportation and was having to walk to and from the college. What motivated me was knowing that a college education would allow me to get a better paying job with benefits and better care for my children. I also wanted to set a good example for the children, showing them that hard work would make all our lives better (and it has).

Initially I attended Midwestern Business College from 1974 to 1975 in Colorado Springs. My major was Business Merchandising. When I returned to college in 1987, I changed majors to Computer Technology and graduated from Chattahoochee Valley State Community College in Phenix City, Alabama. My intent was to transfer to Troy State University. I again wanted to pursue the business management degree. I transferred, but I found that TSU would not accept all my credits from CVCC if I changed majors again. I began looking for other alternatives and found the University of Phoenix accepted most of my credits, so I did not have to start over completely. I still have a several classes left to complete the course requirements for the business degree.

While attending CVCC and just prior to graduation, I learned about a part-time job with Mead Coated Board, Inc. The company had just opened an office in Columbus, Georgia, in 1988. One of my fellow students said it was a golden opportunity for me and provided details. I submitted my resume, received an interview, and applied for the job in October of 1988. To my dismay, the job was filled by another employee who relocated there. I requested that my resume be retained in the event of any further opportunities. A month later I received a phone call and an offer of a different job, which I accepted. At that time I was just finishing my degree, working at the college part-time, and doing a part-time job on weekends as well as raising four children alone. I was a very busy and very tired woman.