Rosangela Cameron, Accounting student

It's been three decades since accounting student Rosangela  Cameron graduated from a Brazilian college with a degree in education, but when she walks into a classroom at Northampton's Monroe campus, her younger classmates see her as one of them. Though Rosangela may have once been used to an educational setting where everyone carried just notebooks and pencils rather than smart phones and digital tablets, she's not just surviving her second journey through college. She's also thriving.

How significantly have times changed in education over the past 30 years? So much so, that the degree Rosangela had worked hard to earn did little to secure her with steady employment after her move to the United States. Though she found work as a teaching assistant, it - along with various other jobs she held at different types of businesses - couldn't keep her from becoming an unemployed victim of the economic downturn in 2009.

"The first few weeks after I was laid off, I was really concerned and upset," said Rosangela. "Through CareerLink, I was introduced to an opportunity to go back to school. I wasn't even sure if I was entitled to be part of the program, but I was able to get access and also spoke to an advisor who suggested that I look into the accounting program at NCC."

Rosangela liked the idea of pursuing an actual two-year degree rather than just brushing up on her skills by earning a certificate. She also knew that she had a support system in place at home, especially in the form of her husband and her 18-year-old daughter (who will also be an NCC student in 2012). With those thoughts in mind, she made her first journey onto campus and threw herself into her new role as a student.

"The first two semesters were the hardest," she reveals. "I had been out of school for so long and so much had changed. But then I met other students...some who were in the same situation as me...and also talked to professors and people from the Learning Center who were very encouraging. There are so many wonderful people here who try to prepare you for the real world and guide you to what's important, so you can be successful."

Now just a few months shy of graduation, Rosangela is appreciative of her time at NCC and is looking forward to perhaps completing an internship before going back into the working world.

"If you asked me two years ago if I was planning to do this, the answer would have been 'no'," says Rosangela. "It's been an interesting time for me and an interesting journey. Working with the younger students was a lot of fun, even for someone like me who was a little rusty.  It's important for non-traditional students to make friends and seek help from everywhere it's offered. Meeting in groups with other students was extremely helpful for me."