Degrees When Due Student Spotlight: Janice Rivers
In October 2019, Janice Rivers came to Washington, DC as a representative of the Mobile Area Education Foundation to join a convening of the second cohort of Degrees When Due, IHEP’s nationwide degree completion initiative.
She left so inspired that she returned to Alabama and decided to “go for it,” resuming her own postsecondary studies, twenty years after needing to stop out to support her family. Less than one year later, on August 11, 2020, Janice earned her degree from Bishop State Community College, studying alongside her son, who also enrolled at Bishop State. Janice is the first college graduate of her family and, in her words, “Being Native American, [this accomplishment] was very important to us.”
We share Janice’s story as inspiration to everyone involved in higher education, and with the hope that other adult learners who may face similar doubts - like whether they can afford school, have time to both study and work, and keep up with new technology – will, like Janice, overcome those fears and cross the degree finish line.
Now heading into its third cohort, Degrees When Due, builds expertise, capacity, and infrastructure on campuses across the nation to get near-completers over the degree finish line. To learn more about Degrees When Due: www.degreeswhendue.com
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