Business major, Raychal Henmen, 32, is the vice president of fundraising for Phi Theta Kappa and participates in events hosted by Alpha Gamma Sigma and Phi Theta Kappa — the two clubs she’s been a part of while studying at Citrus to receive an associate’s degree for business.
Henman has had a significantly large gap from the time she graduated high school in 2007 to the time she plans to graduate this spring.
While most students have a two-to-three-year gap between the end of high school to the start of their academic career, Henman is deemed as a non-traditional college student because of her 10-year gap.
Other women also experience setbacks or decide to take alternative paths before they can decide on going to college. For Henman, it was the complications of having to pay up to life’s demands.
Henman said her mother gave her an alternative to either going to school and not having to pay rent or working and pay rent.
“I know my mom,” Henman said with a chuckle.
Henman said regardless of circumstances she knew her mother would charge her for the rent.
“I took the working route; I worked and paid rent,” Henman said.
Earlier life experiences can also provide insight to future interests. Criminology major, Andrea Sanders, 47, said before she came back to school in 2018, she was in the Navy for 21 years. Sanders said she believes her past involvement within the Navy has guided her to study criminology.
Sanders said she felt going to school at a young age wasn’t ideal at the moment.
“At 20, I wasn’t ready for college,” Sanders said.
Sanders said she feels going to school now is “the right choice” for her.
“I was a military officer in the navy, so it’s just a really good fit to transfer to criminology,” Sanders said. “My program is pretty easy.”
Along with Sanders and Henman, nursing major Michelle Sarino said she returned to school to “set a good example to the future generation.”
Sarino said she started school again “about a year and a half ago” to “be more productive.” Aside from studying to become a nurse, Michelle said she volunteers at Kaiser Permanente in Baldwin Park.
“I like to help people, it makes me feel good to help someone else,” Sarino said.
Sarino said she’s able to empathize with patients due to her “personal disability.”
“I know what it’s like to be the patient,” Sarino said. “I have rheumatoid arthritis, but I don’t don’t let that stop me.”
Sarino said that she has also met nurses at Kaiser Permanente with the same condition.
“Their model is they don’t see disability, they see ability,” Sarino said.
Sarino said that since coming back to school she feels “more structured, balanced and more intelligent.”
Henman said coming back to school has taught her more than just the curriculum itself.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I’m capable of,” Henman said.
Sanders said returning to school has been really good for her by connecting her with “great people.” She also said college has allowed her to “adjust to civilian life”, making it a “good fit” for herself.
Sanders said she advises anyone coming back to college to find a school that fits them, just like the way she said the small-sized campus and the criminology program has fit her well.
“Make good friends in classes, so it’ll make college a lot easier,” Sanders said.
Henman said being a business major, along with her college experience will allow her to apply the widely-applicable skills to her plans of becoming a flight attendant.
Henman said in college she’s surrounded by different types of people and personalities, similar to situations she said she’ll face being a flight attendant.
“There’s a lot of different people when you go to college, and as a flight attendant (you’re) having to deal with a lot of different people because a lot of different types of people travel,” Henman said.
Henman said she wouldn’t change going to college after high school because up to this point she was able to experience “extra life lessons.”
Henman said she recommends people willing to go back to college to get informed first and then make a “better decision” from there.
Sarino said as a person with a disability, using resources like Disabled Students Programs and Services also bridges students’ paths for success.
“And that motivated me for the last few years,” Sarino said.
Henman, Sarino and Sanders said going back to college has made them all a better person.
“You could actually do it.” Henman said.
