Osher Reentry Scholarships help adults return to college

Obtaining a college degree is a significant accomplishment for anybody, but it is a particular challenge for students whose studies have been interrupted by circumstances beyond their control.

This fall for the first time, the Division of Continuing Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison awarded scholarships to 11 adult students who have returned to school to complete their first bachelor’s degrees. The Osher Reentry Scholarships, funded by the Bernard Osher Foundation, are intended to support students who have experienced a significant interruption in their education.

The 11 recipients include men and women pursuing careers in fields such as nursing, teaching, human resources and engineering. They range in age from 26 to 47 years old; the average age of the recipients is 35. Many have families to support, and all are adept at balancing the competing demands of pursuing a degree later in life. The recipients, chosen from a large pool of qualified applicants, are:

Jeffrey Barker, civil engineering

Current Address: Madison, Wis.

High School: East High, Des Moines, Iowa.

Frustrated with college, Barker left school and became a carpenter. An injury made him realize the importance of a college degree. Wanting to stay in a construction-related field, Barker is pursuing a degree in civil engineering and will be the first in his family to graduate from college.

Amy Clark, psychology

Current Address: Morrisonville, Wis.

High School: Luxemburg/Casco High, Luxemburg, Wis.

A mother of two, Clark returns to college to study psychology after an 11-year break. After years of being the sole support of her family, Clark is aware of the balancing act required to continue her studies. She notes that the scholarship money will ensure that her education is not a burden on her family.

Lori Christianson, elementary education

Current Address: Plain, Wis.

High School: River Valley High, Spring Green, Wis.

Returning to school after 14 years as a teacher’s assistant while raising her two children, Christianson says, “I just love the fact I can tell someone I will be attending UW–Madison.” She worked part-time as an assistant at a school library.

Katrina Flores, Chinese

Current Address: Madison, Wis.

High School: Waukesha High, Waukesha, Wis.

Flores stopped her education to care for her mother, who was in a serious accident. A first-generation college student, she participated in the Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence and is an executive member of the Multicultural Student Center. She created a program called “Youth Engaged through Language,” which teaches Mandarin Chinese to at-risk youth.

Abdoulie Jammeh, economics

Current Address: Madison, Wis.

High School: Gambia, Africa

A student who interrupted his campus career after the untimely deaths of both parents, Jammeh aims for a career where he can “make the biggest contribution to people who need a hand in life.”

Peter King, nursing

Current Address: Janesville, Wis.

High School: Superior High, Superior, Wis.

King’s dream of completing his nursing degree is a family affair; supported by his wife (also a returning adult nursing student, and his study partner) and his mother-in-law, who is caring for the couple’s four children. He is changing careers after 20 years in the hospitality field and hopes to become a nursing educator.

Leon Carlos Miranda, Spanish

Current Address: Janesville, Wis.

High School: Craig High, Janesville, Wis.

A son of working class immigrants, Miranda is determined to finish a degree in Latin American studies and Spanish while working full-time. Active in the community, he participated in the service-learning Environmental Justice course, volunteers at Second Harvest food bank and served as the chair of the Associated Students of Madison Plan 2008 campaign. He wants to use his education to empower communities confronting environmental and social inequalities.

Agnes Patenaude, nursing

Current Address: Arena, Wis.

High School: Kenya, Mombasa

A native of Kenya, Patenaude supports six sisters still in Africa after their parents were lost to AIDS. Patenaude is employed at Upland Cheese Co. in Dodgeville, Wis. English is her second language, and she also speaks Swahili, Meru, Kikuyu and several African tribal languages. A volunteer at the Richland Center Medical Center, she is on the dean’s list and tutors students at UW-Richland Center in math. Patenaude hopes to finish a nursing degree and focus on AIDS treatment in a graduate nursing program.

Richard Smith, biology

Current Address: Madison, Wis.

High School: Rhinelander High, Rhinelander, Wis.

Financial obligations and his father’s fight with cancer forced him to put his studies aside for seven years. Smith’s absence from school allows him to return with a “heightened sense of purpose.” He is ready to finish his degree and move on to a graduate degree in counseling psychology.

Nydia U’Ren, Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian studies

Current Address: Madison, Wis.

High School: Colombia

A native of Colombia and a single mother, she strives to support two sons while pursuing a degree in international relations and Latin American studies. Her goal is to work hard and set a positive example for her children.

Terri Wipperfurth, business management and human resources

Current Address: Lodi, Wis.

High School: Lodi High, Lodi, Wis.

Wipperfurth and her husband struggle to support their family on a fourth-generation dairy farm. After attending school part-time for eight years, Wipperfurth will complete a degree in human resources management this December. A mother of four, she is currently working at the university as the human resource manager for the Ice Cube project.