“I have learned a lot at Salem. The small classes allow my instructors more time to spend with each student. The exams are self-scheduled and the Continuing Studies staff provides wonderful guidance. All this has made my educational experience pleasurable."

Dusty Pratt
Hometown: East Bend, NC
Major: Chemistry

Why Now?

“Why now?” you ask with a hint of irritation in your voice. He’s my husband of seven years, my friend for thirteen. It is a simple question made of simple words. “You don’t need a college degree. You’ve done very well for yourself without one.” That may be. “You are forty-three years old.” You are absolutely correct. I have no time to waste.

We are coming at this from very different angles. You have what I want. A piece of paper that says you did it. You persevered. Do you remember the day you walked across the platform to accept the diploma that represents four years of hard work? Was it hot in Columbia that spring day? Was there a breeze or did the sun beat down without mercy? Did you feel the anticipation in the air as names were called? Did your heart pound when they called your name? I want to know that feeling. I’ve played that scene a hundred times in my head. Now I have to earn the rights to it.

“It’s just a piece of paper,” you say. But I believe in the pursuit of this particular piece of paper. Let me explain.

It’s about the process. It’s about evolving as a person defined as something more than wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. It’s about learning for the sheer joy and excitement of it. It’s about the fulfillment of a dream. It’s about knowing that I can succeed.

I am aware of your concerns regarding my ability to take on the role of student in addition to my other responsibilities. We are products of the choices we make. I ask for your support and encouragement.

And so to answer your question of “why now,” I have a question of my own. If not now, when?

– Susan Gilmore, Continuing Studies Student, April 7, 1998

There is no “typical” Continuing Studies student at Salem.
Students ranging in age from 23 to 75 have decided Salem is the college to help them move ahead. Each of the more than 400 adult students returns to school for different reasons, each with varying goals. Some want to earn a degree for career mobility; others want to change professions or prepare for graduate study; still others come to Salem for personal enrichment. Not all adult students pursue degrees – some take courses simply for the pure joy of learning.

Adults from diverse backgrounds come to Salem – business professionals who finish their degrees or prepare for pursuing an MBA; artists who decide they want to teach; homemakers who are preparing for careers outside the home; and lawyers who want to study a favorite subject, to name a few.

Men and women attend Salem part-time and full-time, during the day and evening, in classes with traditional-age students as well as with other Continuing Studies students.

Kimberly Ragsdale Nifong
Throughout high school, I dreamed of going off to college, but my family’s financial situation would not allow it. After graduation, I helped my best friend pack her things and head to the university. I headed to work. All the while though, I regretted that I had not been able to go to college and hoped someday that I could.

As I contemplated returning to school, I was filled with self-doubt. Could I do it? I didn’t know. But as I considered the future, I couldn’t imagine any career more satisfying than that of a physician, and I knew I had to try. Now, twenty years later, I have fulfilled my dream! I graduated from Salem College in 1996 and am now in medical school. One of the most important steps I took in achieving my goal was to find the right school - and that is Salem College. Salem’s Continuing Studies department provides support. There is always someone there to answer questions, listen to concerns, and map out schedules. Likewise, other students provide friendships, answer questions, share a special bond. Each of us has sacrificed something to pursue our dream of a college degree. We’ve given up jobs, or sleep, or time with our families, but the sacrifices we’ve made motivate us and make our successes so much sweeter. There’s a great network of caring adult students at Salem College. It’s a great feeling to see fellow students walk across the stage at graduation and receive degrees in such a wide variety of fields and to know they are fulfilling their dreams too.

Kim Nifong is now a medical doctor. She graduated from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and is in Family practice.

Linda Davis
Police Chief Linda Gibson Davis graduated from Salem College in 1993. She is the highest-ranking female police officer in the state of North Carolina. Chief Davis pursued a degree in business while at Salem and graduated with honors. "Salem provided an environment for continued personal growth," she said. "The high quality education and relationships with my fellow continuing education students, faculty and staff are enriching and lasting."

Ann Bonner
Senior Ann Bonner, a fine arts graduate at Salem College. Ann started taking one class a semester at Salem in 1994. Having a husband, Michael, and two children, Ashley - now a Salem student - and Elliott, Bonner chose to schedule her classes when she wasn’t busy taking care of her family.

Ann’s work includes a series of abstract paintings that capture a variety of emotions that women experience. "Each painting tells a different story. They tell about forgiveness, unity, sharing, joy," Bonner says. "I hope the women I paint show love, togetherness. It doesn’t matter if you’re slim or you’re plump, if you’re yellow or if you’re purple. It’s not about hair or bald. It’s about your essence. It’s about what you are."