By Pat Wolfinbarger
Bill Andrews enrolled in college for the first time at the age of 45. Prior to becoming
a student, he served 11 years as a Navy SeaBee followed by 10 years in law enforcement.
His story is nothing short of extraordinary. Andrews is the father of five adopted children, including three with special needs, and his wife faces health issues. Despite the challenges of balancing family, school and work, Andrews sought a college degree to further his career goals of working in children’s nonprofit leadership and to be a better provider.
Scholarships available to University of Wyoming Outreach School students are a boon to nontraditional students including Andrews, who is on track to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in communication from UW/Casper College Center in spring 2014. He says it was especially rewarding to receive the John W. Hoyt Scholarship, UW/CC Student Leadership Scholarship and UW/CC Non-Traditional and First Generation Scholarship.
“Financial scholarship awards allow me to work fewer hours, so I can focus my efforts on my education and increase the amount of quality time I can spend with my family,” says Andrews, who works as a teaching assistant for Li Li, a UW/CC assistant professor of communications.
Elizabeth Davis, a recent UW/CC graduate says a Myra Fox Skelton Foundation scholarship helped her complete her college education. “I have been able to take part in educational opportunities that I may not have been able to participate in if I had a greater financial burden,” says Davis, who earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and is now employed by Life Net in Casper.
The Myra Fox Skelton Foundation, based in Casper, established its scholarship program primarily to assist single-parent students attending UW through UW/CC. Recipients are full-time juniors, seniors or graduate students who demonstrate academic excellence.
Scholarships have made life-changing differences for many nontraditional students, says Brent Pickett, UW Outreach School associate dean and UW/CC director. “During my eight years as associate dean for UW's branch campus in Casper, I have heard from a lot of nontraditional students that they would not have been able to go to college without the scholarships we offer,” he says. “Our Skelton recipients in particular always say that their receiving that scholarship doesn’t just affect them—it improves their family’s situation.”
Not everyone can leave his or her community to attend college. Scholarships, such as those made possible through the Edelweiss Fund, support students throughout Wyoming. Elizabeth Hisquierdo-Flores was a single mother with three children living in Torrington, Wyo., when she received the Edelweiss Fund scholarship. She earned an associate’s degree from Eastern Wyoming College in 1996 but sought to better her career opportunities by enrolling in the online UW business administration degree program in 2009.
“I couldn’t move to Laramie, and I was my family’s sole means of support,” Hisquierdo-Flores says. “The Edelweiss scholarship made a difference for me.”
Upon earning a bachelor’s degree from the College of Business in 2010, Hisquierdo-Flores saw immediate benefits in her work at St. Joseph Children’s Home. “I got promoted twice,” she says. “I went from being a billing specialist to being the operations and billing manager.”
Hisquierdo-Flores recently got married and moved to Casper where she was quickly hired by Alsco and is now an office manager.
The Edelweiss Fund aids one student at a time enrolled in the UW Outreach School. Other scholarships, such as the Wyoming Women’s Foundation Scholarship and the Osher Foundation Scholarship for Nontraditional Students, also aid nontraditional students, providing vital support and helping to fill this growing need throughout Wyoming.