Barbara Thomas is unique among grandmothers. That’s because the 59-year-old attends WSSU with her grandson, Jeremy Transou, who is a sophomore mass communications major.
“I joke with him and tell him I’m going to beat him out of here,” Thomas said. Thomas is among the 40 percent (slightly more than 2,000) of students at WSSU who are considered nontraditional. Nontraditional students are those age 24 and older who take distance-learning classes, according to the Evening and Weekend College office.
Thomas’ major is justice studies, and her goal is to become an advocate for children in the juvenile justice system. She will graduate in December 2007.
At present, she works full-time at the Forsyth County Courthouse with abused and neglected children as part of a program called Guardian Ad Litum, and she manages to take 12 semester hours.
“I hate to start something and not finish it,” Thomas said, referring to her decision to return to university after an extended absence.
Thomas said she first enrolled at WSSU in 2001 but took off 2 1/2 years to raise her 3-year-old grandson. She started back in August of 2004.
She said younger classmates at WSSU don’t treat her differently from their other peers. In fact, she said most are respectful and courtesy. The only thing Thomas doesn’t like about WSSU is the parking. “It’s beyond rough, actually unbelievable,” she said.
Thomas said she has back problems, which prevents her from walking long distances; because of her condition, she said she has to move her vehicle each time her class is in a different building. Despite this, Thomas said Myra Waddell head of the Disabled Student Office is very helpful and contacts all of her lecturers to inform them of her back problem.
Bennie McBride is another nontraditional student. He is a 61-year-old junior majoring in political science. McBride said he hopes to obtain a job in a government office after graduation. “I’m a little interested in politics,” he said. McBride is taking 12 semester hours and also works part-time, in addition to his work-study job on campus. He also takes some evening and weekend classes.
McBride started WSSU 38 years ago in the fall of 1965. That same year, he said he started a job at RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. The job took precedence over schooling, and it was not until the fall of 2005 that he returned to WSSU.
“My mom died and I was looking for a road to travel and it lead me here,” he said.
McBride said that his school work load has not been overwhelming. Instead, he described it as “really enjoyable. It’s amazing how quick young people come up with ideas,” he said.
McBride agreed with Thomas that the parking is horrible. “I have developed a plan: I sit and wait on somebody to pull out,” he said. McBride also said that it is a good idea to leave home about an hour to an hour in a half early to ensure that you get a good parking spot.
When asked if people treat him differently, McBride said “Yes.” They treat him kindly. McBride said that at first he was a little nervous about being in classes with people a lot younger than him, but now he has gotten used to it. “I have been well accepted at WSSU,” he said.