Students

For many adults, it takes courage to walk through a door that can change the trajectory of their life. Oftentimes, that first step is taken with a mixture of hope and trepidation. Aisha Huntley ’05, G ’11 never imagined that she would find herself on the Syracuse University campus pursuing a bachelor’s degree after struggling to earn an associate degree at Onondaga Community College. “School had never been easy for me,” says Huntley. “I had to work so much harder than my peers.”

It was a University College billboard and radio ad that gave Huntley the courage to attend an information session to learn whether or not she had what it takes to be an SU student. “I walked into University College with a toddler in tow,” says Huntley. “After talking to an advisor, I politely told her I didn’t know what I was thinking and apologized for wasting her time. She wouldn’t let me leave without making another appointment to talk with her again and told me she would personally do whatever she could to help me succeed.”

Like many part-time students, Huntley was raising her daughters while working full time. “I had many blue-collar jobs that were decent, but not good enough,” she says. “With each new job came a yearning to do more, have more and be more. Not only for myself, but for my children.”

Huntley and her five siblings grew up in Syracuse and faced many hardships. They were able to navigate through the challenges of life by sticking together and having a strong, hard-working mother as a role model. “She was the key factor in keeping our family together,” Huntley asserts. “Though forced to endure difficulties, many that were beyond her control, my mother still managed to foster a strong sense of shared commitment to our family while focusing on our academic success.” Huntley said that her mother’s ability to remain resilient during unstable times was one of the reasons she was a driven to succeed.

Inspired by her mother’s strength and encouragement, Huntley returned to University College for another meeting with an academic advisor. They discussed her options, the timeframe for earning a bachelor’s degree and the financial resources available to her. Through the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), most of Huntley’s expenses were paid for. “I was shocked to learn I qualified for the HEOP program and was grateful for the guidance I received to secure the necessary funding to return to school.”

Huntley found that support, guidance and tough love from the staff at University College was crucial to her achievements. “The staff checked on me every step of the way to make sure I had everything I needed to be successful. During those early years, there were times my advisor even watched my daughter so I could complete homework assignments and attend group meetings.”

While Huntley considered earning a degree in education, she chose information management and technology, and after graduating, worked as an Information Technology Analyst. “I realized that if I remained in that field, I would forever be confined to a cubicle,” she says. “I never thought about being a teacher until friends and family encouraged me to pursue it. Teaching was not a profession I thought about as a child.” However, Huntley could imagine herself being a school administrator and returned to Syracuse University’s School of Education to earn a master’s degree in education.

Making an Impact

These days, Huntley teaches special education at Frazer Pre-K-8 School in Syracuse. She teaches all content area subjects to the 15 students in her class and every day is a challenge. “I teach them, listen to them, wipe tears, foster friendships and diffuse tense situations” she explains. “I tell them the difference between Common Core lessons and life lessons.” Teaching in room 220 at Frazer School, Huntley says that on any given day you can hear her say, “this is not a 220 lesson, this is a life lesson.”

There is no doubt that Huntley is making a significant impact on her students. She wants to ensure that they are not only school smart, but street smart as well.  “I talk to them about advocating for themselves, knowing when to walk away and the difference between right and wrong,” she says. “More importantly, I hold them accountable for their actions.”

Because Huntley grew up in Syracuse, she knows firsthand the challenges that some students face. It is that understanding that gives her the ability to authentically guide them. “It takes more than relying on what was learned in school or navigating lesson plans to make a difference in students’ lives,” she says.

Huntley now has a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) degree from St. John Fisher College. “I knew I wanted a doctoral degree, but it seemed out of my reach, especially since I didn’t have any role models who encouraged me to begin my education at a young age.” Huntley said earning each degree was an accomplishment she never dreamed was possible. “Defending my doctoral dissertation and receiving final editor approval was the proudest moment of my life.”

Reimagining her purpose and passion

Huntley reflects on her years of higher education and knows that she’s not quite done learning. She is back at the School of Education taking classes in pursuit of a Certificate of Advance Study (CAS) in Educational Leadership. She dreams of becoming a leader in social justice in order to influence change in urban, marginalized communities.

“I did not want my childhood reality to be that of my children, she says. “I dedicate all of my hard work, blood, sweat and tears to my four amazing daughters. I finally earned my seat at the table and they bear witness to that. I have four daughters and four degrees. I defied all expectations and you can too.”

“One rarely thinks of their professional experience translating into college credits unless you are challenged to do so,” says Vincente Cuevas. “Once you reflect and acknowledge the professional competencies you’ve garnered over the years, you can truly appreciate your previous experiences.”

Cuevas is a sophomore in the bachelor of professional studies program at University College. The three-credit Prior Learning Assessment course will also be taught in the Fall 2020 semester.

Read the full story here: https://news.syr.edu/blog/2020/04/07/prior-learning-experience-may-transition-to-college-credits/

With a passion for storytelling and a strong work ethic, Jenna Bree began her time at Syracuse University as an S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications student in 2016. She quickly got involved in CitrusTV, a student-run television studio, as an assignment editor and reporter. Over the years, Jenna was promoted within the organization where she held positions as associate producer, executive producer, and weather anchor, all while maintaining other jobs on campus and keeping up with her academic responsibilities.

Bree is now in her final year at Syracuse University as a Broadcast and Digital Journalism major with a minor in Spanish. However, this year is different. Jenna is enrolled as a part-time student at University College (UC). For Bree, the decision to go part-time was simple; she only had 12 credits left to fulfill her Bachelor of Science degree. Currently, Bree utilizes the extra time she has as a part-time student to gain more experience in her field as a multi-media journalist for Spectrum News Central New York.

Bree finds that the biggest benefit of being a University College student is how she can structure her week to balance work and school. She spends her Mondays and Wednesdays completing her senior capstone and learning about human sexuality, while her Tuesdays and Thursdays are spent working for the news station, creating two to three stories for air each week, and reporting live on Spectrum News. Jenna expressed, “My biggest aspiration was to be on the live show at Spectrum at 4:30 p.m. Not having class at that time has let me do that,” says Bree. Without University College, Bree would not have time for this invaluable, hands-on work experience related to her degree.

Bree’s advice for students contemplating finishing their degree part-time is to do research on the UC website and have conversations with the academic advisors and financial aid counselors at University College. “I did a lot of research before I enrolled part-time so there’s not much I didn’t know,” Jenna says. She encourages other students who may want or need to finish their degree part-time or online to reach out to an advisor to help them make an informed decision on whether University College is the right fit for them as it was for them.

Katherine O’Neil Veley joined the Syracuse University family 15 years ago as an administrative specialist. As an SU employee, she was able to use her tuition benefits to take classes in flexible formats while working full–time at Falk College. Though Veley just retired as the event manager for Falk College, she is still working toward a bachelor of professional studies degree in Creative Leadership and is expected to graduate in May 2020.

As a first-generation college student Veley feels very fortunate for her opportunity to attend UC as a Syracuse University employee. But her path toward a degree has not been an easy one. Veley juggles work and family obligations while keeping up with her studies. To maintain her dean’s list status, Veley spends many hours a week on her academics. “For over a decade, I gave up my free time. There is always homework waiting to be done, or the opportunity to get ahead a bit,” says Veley. However, with the help of her advisor, she was able to balance her multitude of responsibilities. “In an effort to have a minimal impact on my job schedule, I took a lot of evening and online classes,” Veley explains. Luckily, her son and husband have both been extremely supportive and encouraging of Veley’s desire for a college degree. “They are very understanding when we’ve needed to schedule family vacations around homework and class schedules,” she says. Also, knowing other adult students were working with the same challenges of balancing life and schoolwork was valuable. “It’s nice to know people know what you’re going through,” she says. “There’s a lot of support and understanding there.”

Veley’s part-time study at UC and professional and personal experience helped in advancing her career. She is now the director of Corporate Philanthropy at Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York. Veley encourages those who are raising young children, working a full-time job, and staying up late to study to never give up. “You’re growing in ways you can’t imagine as you maneuver this process,” says Veley, “You’re setting an example (and trust me, many are watching) and you, too, are going to graduate with a degree from Syracuse University! That is an honor and a privilege, and a representation of who you are and how hard you’ve worked.”