SOAR Students

When environmental science major Caitey Robertson returned home from her study abroad trip to Poland she felt more competent and confident about her college career. 

 Like many returning adult learners, Caitey’s college journey had a ten year plus interruption because of life's unpredictable circumstances. She first pursued an arts degree at the College for Creative Studies where she enjoyed herself but realized she had other academic interests. It was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that she reevaluated her academic goals, eventually transferring from Oakland Community College to UM-Dearborn.

At first, she did not think a study abroad trip was possible for a non-traditional student, but was pleasantly surprised when everything worked out. She was concerned about being an older student on the trip and lodging with younger students and almost did not apply. But she realized that mindset would be limiting her academic potential, so she chose to forge ahead and participate in the study abroad in Poland. 

Although she is an environmental science major, Caitey is not afraid to learn outside of her field. Her classes in Poland included a history course with University of Gdansk students and an engineering course on human-centered design with UM-Dearborn Professor Georges Ayoub. She learned engineering techniques where she built a wallet out of paper, and her team created a digital platform app. An added bonus was that the study abroad class  fulfilled a Dearborn Discovery Core history and upper-level writing requirement she needed to graduate. 

Since completing the trip, Caitey says that she is proud of herself for learning about interactive design processes and engineering, plus navigating a country where English is not the primary language. She was happy to see Poland’s beautiful 11:30 pm sunsets, enjoy their Southern mountains, and take a mini trip to  Norway. Additionally, she applied her knowledge of environmental science while in Poland, noticing their similar plant-life to Michigan and observing unique metamorphic rocks not consistent with the mineral composition of the area that she was able to bring back as a souvenir of her trip.

Caitey wants to encourage other SOAR students to enroll in study abroad programs regardless of their doubts, sharing, “If you have the opportunity, do it!”

The reality of being a UM-Dearborn student set in for first-year SOAR student Reagan Irey one September morning. After dealing with hectic traffic to arrive early, she stood on the second floor of the still-empty CASL building and viewed the sunrise streaming through the lobby windows. “I realized how much hard work I'd done to arrive at this point.”

Reagan, an integrative studies major concentrating in environmental science, anthropology, and communications, found clarity in evaluating her life experiences and career goals. She chose to follow her passions over job market trends and has set personal academic goals, including making the Dean's List, securing an on-campus job, and recognizing her privileges.

Her return to college has been vastly different from her first attempt. Her college journey began at Oakland Community College, where she initially was not a fan of getting involved on campus. However, attending a student success seminar changed that, sparking her interest in campus engagement. She found her niche tutoring math at OCC. Since then, she has grown to appreciate the on-campus experience and encourages other returning adult learners to take advantage of available resources. She also finds she has more in common with her professors than with younger classmates, which has given her the confidence to ask for help. “Something we forget as returning adult learners is that asking for help is okay,” she says.

Like many returning adult learners, Reagan has faced challenges but uses her experiences to support others. Since joining UM-Dearborn, her academic confidence has grown. She relies on effective study strategies, such as reviewing material before and after class and using the Pomodoro method to avoid burnout. “I’ll stop for breaks and avoid the study burnout when trying to run through an entire assignment.” She shares these techniques with fellow students as a tutor and emphasizes the importance of asking for help as a returning adult learner.

She never imagined studying abroad but took a leap after spotting a flier in the Renick Center for the Future Cities Live program. Just two days before the deadline, she applied. In June, she will travel to Germany and the Netherlands to explore sustainable cities.

Reagan encourages other returning adult learners to celebrate their accomplishments. “You’ve got to thank yourself. Teachers give us the tools, but I did the work myself.”