Cardinal Points

Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Takara Williams Senior studio art major Bobby Ziemba works on a ceramic piece in Myers Fine Arts studio on April 18. Ziemba is among many adult students attending college across the country.

After tearing his ACL at work and acquiring carpel-tunnel syndrome in both wrists, 45-year-old Terry Kemp knew he needed a new career.

"It was physically exhausting," he said.

Kemp currently works as a self-employed caretaker to finance his advances toward a Master of Science in teaching degree at Plattsburgh State.

The Peru-native said he attended SUNY Potsdam at the age of 18 "because it was expected," earning an undergraduate degree in psychology.

"I wasn't really mature enough to go," he said.

Kemp now owns and operates his own caretaking business in Saranac Lake, watching over people's homes and performing routine care and home maintenance.

"Going part time makes it possible," Kemp said. "I am completely self-financed."

After taking a position as an adjacent math professor, he got into the idea of teaching.

There are 54 million adults in the United States without a college degree, according to a new report - 34 million of which have no college experience whatsoever.

The report, released by the Lumina Foundation for Education, states how the technological revolution has created a need for postsecondary education, both individually and nationally.

Many adults like Kemp are working hard to achieve college degrees.

"I got a divorce and went back to school," 57-year-old Vera Riley said after she worked to pay for her ex-husband's college degree, only to be hindered by that when her time to go to college came.

Riley, a current graduate student at Goddard College in Vermont, said the experience provided many benefits.

"It helped me as far as the job market, but it extremely helped me with my self-image," Riley said.

Riley said she received her undergraduate degree from Goddard as well, a college with special low-residency programs that require the student to reside at the college for eight days to plan out their semester. After that, Riley said, work is done independently.

"It turned out to be an awesome experience," she said.

Continued...

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