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When she first stepped on the �ؾ��� campus in 2016, Yolanda Flowers was nervous. She was returning to school to study psychology after decades of working retail, and wondered if she would fit in and be supported at an institution where so many of the students arrive directly from high school. However, like so many adult students that attend �ؾ���, Yolanda soon gained her confidence from the University’s incredible suite of support services and the enthusiasm of her fellow Lakers.

“I quickly understood that my opinion as someone with a long career before returning to school was valued by my professors and my classmates,” she says. “�ؾ��� prioritizes practical experience and how we can apply what we learn in the classroom to the broader world. And I was able to confidently come out of my shell once I started working with Student Support Services and the Professional Mentoring Program.”

Through Student Support Services, Yolanda was able to craft a resume, polish her interview skills and work directly with �ؾ���’s Career Services team to land an internship as a mental health counselor at the Kenneth Young Center. And after earning her master’s in college counseling and student affairs in 2023, she was so committed to seeing other adult students succeed that she joined the University as an advisor for the SSS STEM program.

Dedicated to assisting low-income and first-generation college students, the SSS STEM program offers personalized guidance appointments, professional development workshops, access to �ؾ���’s Laker Union Food Pantry and tutoring services to ensure their academic success no matter their age or background.

As �ؾ��� begins its ACE (Adult Continuing Education) program to welcome more mid-career students, Flowers is thrilled to know that the University’s numerous support programs can help these students adjust to college life.

“So many of our adult students can succeed because of �ؾ���’s investments in these programs,” Flowers says. “I’m truly excited there’s going to be a new group of ACE students who can be supported and become successful professionals.”

An example of these successful professionals is Cheryce Thompson, who plans to graduate this fall with her bachelor’s in psychology from the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS). Inspired by community loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and her son’s high school graduation, Cheryce has pursued her goal to be a therapist while also working full-time at a mental health facility that offers treatment for eating and anxiety disorders. She wants to ultimately earn a master’s in social work, and her passions include addressing systemic trauma and grief faced by the Black community in addition to bettering social services provided to high school students. 

While her classmates are sometimes younger than her son, Cheryce has felt incredible support from the �ؾ��� community, and she has not only been involved with the University’s SSS STEM program, but she has even established a new organization of her own: Students of a Certain Age. Created to connect “non-traditional” students who also work part-time or seek a community of similar Lakers, the organization has already hosted a variety of well-received events, and guest speakers have included financial advisors and therapists specializing in self-care.

“I felt incredibly supported by the University to start a group that supported people like me who completed their education later than a traditional student,” she says. “I love how the University allows me bring these people together.”