Monday, February 4, 2008
Nontraditional student senator Aaron Jacobs’ college career has been, well, nontraditional. Jacobs, a Leawood senior majoring in political science and philosophy, took a year off after his junior year to work with underprivileged youth outside Chicago.
“I wanted to take a break before I graduated,” Jacobs said. “A lot of people graduate and really don’t know what they want to do with their lives. I wanted to take some time to figure that out.”
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There’s a lot of organizations and administration programs for nontraditional students on campus, but not a lot of student representation. I wanted to become a student advocate for other students like me.
— Aaron Jacobs, nontraditional student senator
Jacobs took the opportunity to “leave the nest” through AmeriCorps VISTA, a volunteer program dedicated to fighting poverty. Jacobs worked with a charitable organization for high school dropouts. The experience, he said, expanded his horizons and deepened his belief in the value of education.
“It gave me a new and different perspective,” he said. “It made me a better person and a better student.”
Today, Jacobs continues his interest in community service through Student Senate.
“Nontraditional students are very underrepresented on campus by other students,” Jacobs said. “There’s a lot of organizations and administration programs for nontraditional students on campus, but not a lot of student representation. I wanted to become a student advocate for other students like me.”
Any student who is married, a veteran or a parent is defined as a nontraditional student, according to the Nontraditional Student Services Web site. Students who must commute 10 or more miles to attend class or who are three or more years older than their classmates also are considered nontraditional, according to the Web site. According to the Nontraditional Student Foundation, about 25 percent of Lawrence campus students fit into this category.
From finding the cash to pay rising tuition costs to finding time to sleep, the challenges facing any college student are numerous. Nontraditional students face a varied set of additional challenges such as finding affordable child care or adjusting to returning to education after an extended absence.
“They’re really taking the initiative to pay for and make their way through college on their own — to fight through whatever life has given them, be that kids or marriage or military service or absence,” Jacobs said.
The varied interests of Jacobs’ constituents can make representation difficult. Jacobs focuses on finding funding for student groups through the Senate.
“I like to find groups, especially those that focus on nontraditional interests, that need help and help them to find the money to see their goals fulfilled,” Jacobs said.
— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird
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