Back to class in your 50s? New college grad shows what’s possible

Like many new college students, April Meyerink began her time in higher education without a lot of direction.

That was in the early 1990s, when Meyerink liked the idea of a graphic design career but quickly found out the reality of it.

“I loved art classes – that was my passion – but it also involved a lot of labs and time outside the classroom, and at that time, you really weren’t going to get anywhere if you didn’t move to New York or Minneapolis,” she said. “They didn’t have anything locally that felt like a good career for me.”

And, to be candid, “I probably majored in social,” she laughed. “I was born to be a social connector. So it probably wouldn’t surprise anyone I was a little too immersed in the social scene and not doing as well as I wanted.”

After two years at SDSU she withdrew, moved away for a couple of years, and then came back and enrolled in tech school.

“I was thinking maybe network administration, but being behind a computer was not my forte, so after a year, I decided that wasn’t the avenue to go as well,” Meyerink said. “But my whole life I’ve never done anything traditional.”

Her people skills led her to a wide range of roles, from hospitality and advertising to bartending and the banking industry, most recently as vice president of business development for American Bank & Trust. She built skills and relationships along the way but always had thought about going back for her bachelor’s degree.

“It was just the time commitment of going to classes when you’re working during the day,” she said. “But between being diagnosed with a couple chronic illnesses, and then navigating my career and health and family, it was a balance to navigate.”

The pandemic, and the downtime it brought, got her back to thinking about college.

“I’d heard there were online classes you could take,” she said. “And then I learned in my former job that a degree actually would be required if I wanted to advance, so it prompted me to finish.”

As she was going through SDSU’s online program, she was recruited to join American Bank & Trust. Her degree wouldn’t be required, “but when I told them I was finishing it, they said that’s fantastic,” she said. “They were impressed I was doing it. I was halfway in and had wanted to finish for so long, so I was going to do it anyway.”

There are great options at SDSU for students such as April Meyerink, said Victor Taylor, vice provost for graduate education and extended studies.

“Our Bachelor of General Studies program is available 100 percent online, and students can mix and match many courses,” he said.

“If they want to have a business emphasis, they can do that. If they’d rather study humanities or social science, that’s available. It’s a very flexible program that’s an excellent option for students looking to complete a degree online.”

There are an estimated 50 million people in the United States who have some college experience but lack a full degree, he added. So if that’s you, you’re far from alone.

“It isn’t the case today, but there used to be a perceived stigma, especially if you came on campus and weren’t traditional college age,” Taylor said.

“Higher education’s move to online changed that and has made things more convenient for post-traditional students, but it’s also a different world than it used to be, and I think students from different backgrounds find there’s a lot of valuable learning that takes place cross-generationally.”

That was the case for Meyerink – in a very personal way.

While she was helping her daughter, Grace, navigate college applications, she’d discovered the online SDSU program.

“I decided to go because a lot of my credits would already transfer,” she said. “Their general studies program is exactly for professionals like me. It gave me a map – take these classes in this time frame and you’ll be done.”

Her personalized curriculum reflected both her interests and areas that applied to her professional life.

“The instructors really made a point to connect through discussion posts and had you meet with a group in your class,” Meyerink added. “So you got to know other students and their stories and why they’re coming back to school.”

At the same time, her daughter became a Jackrabbit, majoring in elementary education.

“There were a couple times she was going to school and I was online, and we compared notes,” Meyerink said. “We both took physical geography – but we didn’t take it at the same time.”

Meyerink earned her degree late last year.

“It’s a huge relief to have it done,” she said. “I always told my daughter it’s my biggest regret. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but this is one I could go back and change.”

She encourages other prospective post-traditional students to consider it too.

“It’s never too late, and don’t be embarrassed about not finishing because everyone has a different path in life,” she said.

“If you’ve ever thought about going back or you aren’t sure about the process, I highly recommend you connect with SDSU Admissions. They were probably my biggest cheerleaders. The instructors were wonderful and supportive and said how great it was to see someone my age come back and finish. And you have such a feeling of accomplishment when you do this. I’m super-proud of myself.”

To learn more about continuing your education at SDSU, click here.