“Grown-ups are going back to school” |
| Grown-ups are going back to school Posted: 14 Sep 2010 09:32 AM PDT For the new school year, Ramil Añonuevo got a new back-pack on wheels. He borrowed books to get a head start. And he found a study buddy: his 11-year-old son, Aaron, who joins him at the dinner table. Añonuevo, 42, just started an accelerated nursing program at Miami-Dade College. In a year, he should have his degree -- and a new career. Across South Florida, adults in their 30s, 40s and older are heading back to the classroom in the hopes of changing career paths. They are sales managers, firefighters, research consultants and journalists. They hope to become nurses, priests, lawyers and teachers. For some, going back to school is a chance to meet a personal goal, reinvent themselves or answer a spiritual calling. For others, like Añonuevo, the extra education is a way out of the recession. In his native Philippines, he earned an accounting degree and worked in government administration. Soon after he arrived in Miami in July of 2008 with his wife and two sons, the economy cratered and left him looking for jobs in Publix grocery stores. He had no luck and considered going back to the Philippines. But his wife didn't want the family separated, and his son Abraham, 17, was winning math awards in school. So Añonuevo decided to hit the books and become a nurse -- like his wife. ``I decided I should enroll in a field that is recession-proof,'' Añonuevo said. At Miami-Dade College, one of the nation's largest institutions, a third of the students are 26 years old or older. Rene Garcia, director of enrollment at MDC, said there is a link between the economy tanking and people going back to school. ``It's `Gee, I got whacked from my job. Now I have the opportunity to do something else,' '' Garcia said. Hot job areas include nursing and other health programs, business, education and areas within computer technology, Garcia said. University of Florida economist David Denslow said community colleges in particular see increased enrollment because they can quickly hire faculty to teach in-demand fields and offer late-night and weekend programs. But does going back to school pay off in the long run? That depends on the field. ``If you go back for additional training in literature, it does a lot of good intellectually and personally, but not necessarily financially,'' he said. ``If it's in an area like math or technology, science or nursing, those pay off.'' Those areas can yield pay increases on the order of 15 to 20 percent, Denslow said. For adult students, there can be unique challenges: juggling family life, working, taking on debt. ``It's not the same from when I was younger. You have a sharp mind, you can memorize things faster. Now I tell them, `Give me more time,' '' Añonuevo said. He recently won a scholarship from MDC for students who previously held supervisory positions, have strong GPAs and are retraining for a new profession. College administrators say adult students often come with strong determination and wisdom from life experiences. ``It's easy to find a reason to put off education. If you don't do it, you'll just put it off again and again,'' said Alex Acosta, dean of Florida International University College of Law. For some students, an extra degree serves several purposes. Hialeah High teacher Ana Soto, 30, just completed a master's degree in history and plans to attend law school next year. She said she's concerned about the specter of legislation that does not compensate teachers for advanced degrees or professional development. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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