(Text from streaming video release on Abingdon Masters Program, Sept. 9, 2004)
Radford university graduate students in social work who live and work in far southwestern Virginia are able to complete their classroom coursework at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. The Abingdon program is specifically designed to help those with full time jobs and families earn a masters degree without traveling to Radford.
Rana Duncan-Daston/assistant professor/site coordinator:
“The Abingdon program is set up to be four years, all part time. The classes are structured so that there are two per semester. They’re offered after 3 p.m. in the afternoon. If folds are working, they can get off and hopefully arrange their family lives and work lives around their course load.”
Bethany Fullen/Graduate Recruitment and Retention Director:
“There are available student loan options. We also have the Highlander Choice which is a monthly payment option for the working student who can budget a monthly payment to pay tuition with that route.”
Students in Abingdon are mostly professionals who want to increase their knowledge, professional potential and ability to help their communities.
“Our program emphasizes community work and some people come already knowing a tremendous amount about working with communities. Many of our students are of this area and of this region. They choose to spend their lives here. By coming to this program they’re investing in the community and the quality of life here. It’s really inspirational.”
Graduate student Laura Campbell is a single mother and full time professional. She remembers coming into the program and wondering how it could fit into her life and life goals.
Laura Campbell/graduate student:
“Instead of looking at grad school as an intimidating factor, I looked at individual aspects. Do one thing at a time and all of a sudden it became doable and it was a wonderful thing for me.”
Laura:
“I love the program and the people that provide the program as well. When we came in, I remember the first day. We were extremely intimidated. Rana and Bethany were here and I don’t know if it was written on our faces or they remember their experiences as a beginning student, they immediately eliminated our fears and helped give us encouragement. That was a great help. We’ve become a really close-knit family, my classmates and I very fast and we work well together and we’re learning a lot.”
Sept. 9, 2004
Media contact: Ann Hillenbrand, (540) 831-5182