Have you ever wondered about the journey that your classmates have taken to get to where they are?

It has truly been a journey on all fronts to take the steps to obtain my journalism degree and make a shift in my career path. I am not alone in the educational process. Not only am I a student, but I’m also a teacher, a freelance creative, a lifestyle blogger, and a podcast co-host. Of the many hats that I adorn, a student is the most important to me. 

I was prompted to get personal with my story as a nontraditional, full-time student. My best friend and I decided to go back to school. Not only to change our current careers but to live more fulfilling, creative lives. We’re both talented, creative people. I am the writer with the ideas for so many stories and she is the photographer/graphic designer. In our friend group, all of us are in our early to mid-30s attending undergrad or graduate programs again. In fact, the average age of today’s undergraduate student is older than twenty-five years old. It’s apparent that we’re not alone in this. There are a few things that I wish that were a tad bit different though.  

I sometimes wish that I had more time to attend on campus events and participate in fun things on campus. It feels weird sometimes interacting with other students who may be in my same program but are a bit younger than me. I know that as I get closer to graduation, my school schedule will change and there will be more opportunities to go to class and hang out on campus but for now, it’s one chunk that I miss from this college experience. 

My nontraditional experience also had ushered in a financial difference. Sure, I applied for loans, because that’s how I got through my two-year program at Delgado. I also was eligible for a little bit of Pell Grant to start school but because I had to switch to the online program, I had reached my lifetime amount limit. I was also offered an academic scholarship but again, because I have to “attend” the on-line program, my scholarship wasn’t included. Paying for school out of pocket was not in the plans or the budget. I still must take care of my home that I share with my partner but I also must finish my degree. 

Another part of my nontraditional experience is the time. I literally have had to carve out time to complete assignments and even to complete this article with heart and soul. Before the semester started, I saw my potential schedule for the fall, sat at my desk in my home and got to work on how I was going to make this happen. Because I used some time management skills that I’ve managed to garner over the years, I’ve been able to still attend networking events and school of communications events to make the best of each opportunity and interaction in my soon-to-be new career of journalism. I even got to finally meet classmates and colleagues from The Maroon for the first time last semester, which was refreshing. 

To be completely honest, I felt self-conscious about being an older student. Once I really sat down and thought about it, I decided to let the doubt go and go all in. I changed my mind set and channeled what eighteen-year-old, freshman Dominique would do. I dove into the journey head on. 

I said to myself, “What’s the BEST that can happen?”—instead of dwelling on all of the things that could have stopped me pursuing this dream of mine to become a world-class journalist with a degree from Loyola that can take me places that third grade writer me couldn’t have even dreamed of. I keep pressing with the goal in mind. The experiences that I sought will eventually come before it’s all over in Spring of 2026. I will always be thankful for my Loyola experience no matter what! Geaux Pack!