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The idea of college and higher education can be daunting for many. The papers due, finding the right professors and the expense can scare many off from continuing their education, but some graduates have chosen to return to college to help others have a positive and successful college experience.
The College of Education at the University of Florida would like to observe National Higher Education Day by celebrating the graduates who have decided to return to school to help other students in higher education.
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“Being in this program and studying higher education has both satisfied my curiosity as a learner around higher education but also I could see the direct impact of my work on the ground on how students experience college,” LB Hannahs said. “That was the draw of this program and the draw of studying higher education more broadly.”
The Student Personnel Higher Education program at UF helps graduate students prepare themselves for administrative roles in higher education.
“It met my needs, it was a rigorous program,” said Leslie Pendleton, Director of the Machen Florida Opportunity scholarships. “But it was also here at the home institution that I worked at. So it was convenient.”
Pendleton said that the program allowed her to use her education as a practitioner while bringing what she has seen as a faculty member into the classroom.
“The program provided me the time to engage in some of those life-long learning experiences,” she said.
There are multiple programs under the student personnel umbrella allowing graduate students the flexibility to continue working in their current position so that they can put their education to practical use.
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[av_heading heading=’“At the time I was at a job I really loved and did not want to leave,” Hannahs said. “This program afforded me the opportunity to still be in a job I really loved but pursue more education which I was really feeling the pull to do.”’ tag=’h3′ style=” size=” subheading_active=” subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=’custom-color-heading’ custom_font=’#e0e0e0′][/av_heading]
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Hannahs has worked at UF as a diversity specialist in an LGBT office and later as a central administrative role.
Hannahs is not the only UF staff member who has returned to school to learn more about managing higher education while putting their education to practice.
Ayola Singh-Kreitz returned to school for her doctorate in higher education administration after receiving her master’s degree in business and working in IT at UF.
“The program has balanced me out as an individual. When I came from the college of business I knew that I wanted the fastest most efficient way of doing things.” She said. “The program made me slow down. Sometimes there is a slightly longer way to get to the same end goal, but it might be a little better.”
The doctoral higher education program at UF work through a cohort basis, making it easy to find a good peer group, which according to Pendleton is important at all education levels.
“We would do study groups on the weekends,” Pendleton said. “We would meet at Starbucks and get some caffeine but then study our quantitative methods course.”
As the Director of the Machen Florida Opportunity scholarships, Pendleton helps to support the students both financially and academically through support mechanisms such as classes and a peer mentor system.
“It was like listening to the advice I give to other people and trying to take that advice because I was back in the classroom,” she said.
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For those interested in learning more about the higher education programs at UF’s College of Education please go to education.ufl.edu/higher-education for more information.
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