Linda Morin

Learning never ends for grad who began late
Springfield Sunday Republican May 9, 1999
By John Appleton, Staff writer

In her mid-40s, Linda A. Morin is about to get a lot of practice at putting on a cap and gown.

Linda A. Morin looks forward to donning a cap and gown for the first time since her high school graduation 27 years ago, and is even more excited to be one of the many Western Massachusetts college graduates who will be continuing their education. "I would really like to get my master's degree before I am 50," said Morin, who at 44 is about to receive an associate's degree from Springfield Technical Community College. In the fall she will attend Mount Holyoke College to pursue a bachelor's degree in sociology and art, and is planning to work toward a master's degree in art therapy.

About 30 percent of STCC graduates go on to four-year schools after receiving their associate degrees. At Holyoke Community College and Greenfield Community College, roughly half of each year's graduating class goes on to four colleges.

Kay Althoff, who directs the program for older students that Morin will be joining at Mount Holyoke, said that for years there as been a steady increase in the number of people returning to school for associate, bachelor and graduate degrees. The Frances Perkins Scholars Program which Althoff directs is in its 20th year and now serves about 150 students each year. Many returning students in this and other nontraditional student programs attend community colleges before entering a four-year school, and more and more are heading on for graduate work. "We have people going to medical schools and veterinary schools. Some take a year off after Mount Holyoke to prepare for graduate school exams, but we also have a woman going directly from here to the master's of social work program at Smith, starting in June," Althoff said.

Morin figures she will be having a graduation every two years until 2003. She attended a community college in California shortly after leaving high school and then worked in electronics while raising two sons, but decided in her early 40s that her career was "disconnected from the people aspect of life. I have always had an interest in the therapeutic effect of the arts," Morin said, so she sold her house to cover expenses and launched a six-year academic journey toward a master's degree in this area.

Morin has maintained a perfect 4.0 scholastic average in her two years at STCC and is looking forward to the challenge of Mount Holyoke. Switching from a full-time job to going to school has allowed her to be on the same schedule as her 11 year-old son. Cayce. "I can spend more time with him and keep up with what he is doing in school," Morin said. And her older son, Reza, who is graduating this month from the University of California at Berkeley, jokes with her about going for their master's degrees together.

Morin did not embark on this just to wear a cap and gown again, but she feels that the graduation after her first two years will be fun and also validating. "It's a celebration of taking the first step. If I had started at a four year school, I wouldn't have halfway point to sit back, congratulate myself and say 'l did it'," she said. "Somehow, doing it this way with a graduation every two years it doesn't seem that overwhelming" Morin said.