Angela Monico, a single mother of three, made the decision to return to school at the age of 44. She wanted to become a chemical dependency counselor, and regretted that finances had prevented her from attending college after high school. “I owned my own business, but my passion for it changed,” she says. So she enrolled at Broome Community College and earned an associate degree, graduating with honors. Her final internship was at Tully Hill Chemical Dependency Treatment Center, where she was offered a Senior Counselor position after graduation. “I was so humbled and grateful to have people around me who believed in me and valued my talents,” she recalls.
Within a year, Angela knew that she wanted to continue her education. “I knew that with more education would come more opportunities for me to help others learn to change their lives,” she says. She chose Syracuse University because she could earn her bachelor’s degree part time through University College, where the advising staff was committed to guiding her through the process. “They made it so easy for me to transfer and get the most out of the credits I was bringing from BCC,” she recalls.
Angela discovered an unexpected benefit when she returned to college—the positive effect it has had on her children. “They are incredibly loving and supportive, always expressing how proud they are of me,” Angela says. “Even when my evening classes keep me from my son’s soccer games, he understands that I am there when I can be. And continuing my education makes my sons want to do well in school. Even my daughter, with two young children, has been inspired to look into attending college in the near future.”