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Everything came together for Kokese when she decided to come to Maria College to complete a bachelor’s in Psychology. After years of completing her coursework part-time while also working a full-time job, Kokese is planning to graduate in May 2023. She reflects on how great Maria College is for those looking to return for a degree as an adult learner. “I wanted to go to a small school where I knew I could get the personal attention that I needed. I wanted to see the same students in my classes, get to know my professors, and be a part of the conversations in class. I knew I would not get that from a larger college and that is really why I decided to come to Maria.”
Like many students, Kokese had pursued a degree elsewhere before coming to Maria College. Mid-career Kokese wanted to advance her skills and went to a local community college for nursing. In her 2nd year of the program, a trusted colleague from work advised Kokese that she would need a good amount of time in acute critical care before moving on to another setting. Not wanting to move in that direction, Kokese put a pause on her nursing degree and took some time off to figure out her next steps. She shared, “Then life happened, I was a football mom, and focused on all the activities my kids were involved in at the time.”
Years later, when her kids were in high school, Kokese decided it was time to make the move and finish her degree. Knowing she was passionate about working with patients, but not necessarily as a nurse, Kokese found herself at Maria College pursuing a degree in Psychology. Kokese shared, “I was terrified to come back. My first course was statistics and I am not a math person. But, my professor at the time helped me through the course. I was meeting with her multiple times a week to make sure I understood the material.”
Returning as an adult student with lots of transfer credits and little to no financial aid can also be a challenge for many. Kokese shared how she worked with Maria College’s Student Financial Services office to set up a payment plan when she was going through some challenging times due to a medical issue. “They humanized the process and saw me as a person, not a transaction. I was so grateful that I could continue to work on my degree without the financial stress.”
One of the things that Kokese has come to value about her Maria experience is the diversity of the students in her classes—not just racial diversity, but the diversity of age and what students with different backgrounds can bring to the learning experience. “There are some students in my classes that are around my age, some right out of high school, and everything in between. We learn so much from each other, having the opportunity to hear each other’s stories from all walks of life.”
With a 19-year career at CDPHP, currently in the role as a training consultant, Kokese finds herself interested in pursuing a career in Human Resources and continuing to be an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, which she currently does at CDPHP as co-lead of their Diversity Matters program. Kokese feels her time at Maria has set her up for success and shares, “I learned so much from my psychology degree, particularly from my organizational psych class about how different companies function, how to manage projects, and how to train individuals.” She also shared that Maria College lives out its mission to prepare graduates who recognize and respect the dignity of every human person. “Maria educates people to be well-rounded individuals, who are good human-beings, that want to give back in their community. I want to be an active member of my community, and a good steward with what I have learned.”
Learn more about Maria College’s bachelor in Psychology program.