December grad: Irene Hilliard on overcoming obstacles

Graduate Certificate, Human Services
Hometown: Manhattan, New York
Fun Fact: Parked her truck and took the bus so she could parlay gas money into tuition dollars.

Here's what I learned from Irene Hilliard: you can make it work, whatever your obstacle. Short on cash for tuition? Park your vehicle and take advantage of your WolfCard bus pass. No time to exercise? Walk wherever you can and don't be embarrassed to try out a little tai chi or qigong at the bus stop while you wait. (Drivers might just think you're waving at them, or that you're a little nuts, but don't pay them any mind.) Feeling out of your element as a UAA newbie? Engulf yourself in the campus community-the calendar is bristling with free options for students.

Irene is just moments away from walking across the stage in the Alaska Airlines Center to accept her graduate certificate in front of her cheering supporters. Although she felt intimated going back to school after a number of years in the workforce, she couldn't be more excited to continue her education.

"I fell in love with learning," she said. "I don't see myself stopping." Time, and good genes, are on her side. Like most traditional grads, she's looking forward to sharing the good news with her parents. Unlike most traditional grads, Irene's folks are 99 and 98 years old. They still live in Irene's native New York.

"I just love to talk to them and give them good news. My mother has Alzheimer's, so she may get it and she may not. But my dad, that's what he lives for, to hear good news about his kids, about his grandkids, about his great-grandkids," she said. "This is something I'll get to share."

The lady in safety orange

Irene has worked at McLaughlin Youth Center for the last nine years, an administrative assistant for the Anchorage School District high school there. Already a part of the U-Med District as an employee, she started to feel the pull of the campus community across the street from McLaughlin.

A bad economy helped nudge her toward graduate school. "I said, 'Well, when the economy is bad, you go to school.'" She checked out a few programs and, not yet ready to commit to a master's degree, she decided to try for a master's certificate in human services.

Next step was figuring out how to afford school. "I parked my truck and started taking the bus. I saved about $100 a week in gas and maintenance," she said. "That added up and paid for one graduate class a semester. I'm still doing that today."

It makes for long days some semesters. She's up in time to catch the 6:15 a.m. bus to get to work by 7:30. And after a long day at work, she heads across the street to class, finishing up at about 8:30 p.m., just in time to catch a late bus home and roll into bed. Those are the days she has to do some careful packing-purse, books, homework, food and, of course, her safety vest for the dark walk to and from the bus stop. She laughs that her reflective orange vest has become her signature clothing item.

As a New Yorker, relying on public transportation wasn't intimidating for Irene. What was worrying, was getting up to speed as a college student again. "It was really scary for me, because it's amazing how fast everything changes in school," she said. "The computers were faster, the way you got research was faster, everything was just different and I felt real awkward. I took advantage of the support UAA offers. I can't say enough for those guys in the computer labs who helped me."

She also made sure she took advantage of resources in the UAA/APU Consortium Library, the Multicultural Center, the Wells Fargo Sports Complex (early morning or lunchtime swimming and sauna, when she can fit it in) and the Confucius Institute, where she took her first tai chi and qigong classes. Evening lectures in the Campus Bookstore have also helped her meet new people and broaden her social circle.

"I think it's important to engulf yourself in the whole school experience," she said with a smile. "I'm just UAA!"

Planning for a healthy future

Irene is already eyeing UAA's graduate program in public administration. The classes she took for her graduate certificate will count toward the credits needed for a master's in public administration. She has a lot of experience working with women and children and in the future she'd love to focus on health.

"I believe there are ways people can maintain good health and it doesn't take a lot of money," she said. "I'd like to work in a community facility to help promote health in whatever way I can for the people who need to know more about ways they can stay healthy."

Irene's mom remains her original role model for healthy living. She introduced her to natural, holistic medicine practices at a young age.

"Growing up in New York City's project housing we didn't have a lot of money. My mother kept us out of hospitals. She kept us four kids pretty healthy," said Irene. "Maybe it was the fact that we lived across the street from Mt. Sinai Hospital, two blocks away from Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital and Albert Einstein Medical School in Manhattan that we both developed a love for health."

Now, the countdown to graduation day begins. Even though Irene plans to continue her education in future semesters, she is looking forward to sharing this milestone with her family and friends. She also has some sound advice for folks waffling about heading to college. "I would tell anybody, especially if you're coming back after being away from school so very long, like me, just stay connected, keep coming back. You have to embrace it and engulf yourself in the community and the next thing you know, you're there. That's how I did it."

Written by Jamie Gonzales, UAA Office of University Advancement