在纽约普特南县长大的黛德Hourican从未想过自己会上大学.  根据Hourican的说法，“我希望高中毕业后去工作，这也是我所做的.她高中毕业后的第一份工作是在纽约一家高级时装摄影工作室当簿记员.  Later, she went on to work at IBM in the 1990s and 2000s.  现在, more than three decades later, Hourican在bet亚洲365欢迎投注大学完成了本科和研究生学位，最近被任命为该学院计算机科学与数学学院的副院长, proving that perseverance pays off, and that it is never too late to get a college education.

霍里肯作为一名成年大学生的经历并不罕见, bet亚洲365欢迎投注的专业课程学院(SPP)提供多种课程，以满足工作成年人的独特需求.  This population is typically balancing work and family, 管理家庭, and devoting time to civic obligations, often simultaneously!  成人学生受益于在线和混合课程提供的灵活性, 以及个性化的建议，帮助他们最大限度地从以前的机构和/或生活工作学分.  SPP提供管理研究领域的学位完成课程, Organizational 沟通, Organizational 领导, 信息rmation Technology 管理, and Behavioral Studies.

作为成年人，追求大学学位既需要决心，也需要承诺, but Hourican knew she had to begin somewhere, 所以她在一所社区大学一次上一门课来建立自信.  Upon completing her associate’s degree, 她在当地一所四年制大学找到了一份工作，开始在那里学习数字媒体等课程.  而Hourican则欣赏小班教学和实践学习活动, 有时候，作为房间里唯一的成年本科生是很困难的.  她回忆说:“其他学生都很好，但就是没有那种同志情谊.  I was never able to attend study sessions at 10 p.m. because I had to get up for work the next day!” 

最终, Hourican在Marist找到了一份学术技术支持专家的工作，她对很多同事都在攻读学位印象深刻, both undergraduate and graduate.  Encouraged by her peers, 她开始在晚上下班后参加综合研究的混合学士课程.  说Hourican, “和像我这样既要工作又要上学的人一起上课很有帮助.  We could commiserate because we were in the same boat.一路走来，她得到了圣母学院教职员工的支持、建议和鼓励.  学生服务助理主任詹妮弗·贝克尔(Jennifer Becker)通过不断提醒霍里肯“你能做到”，让她一门又一门课程都走上正轨!  We believe in you.霍里肯回忆起教职员工伊斯梅·恰尔涅茨基(Ismay Czarniecki)的一条见解深刻的建议:“她告诉我的, as an adult student, you can’t delay because you’ll never finish your degree if you do.  我把这个建议牢记在心，即使遇到困难也坚持了下来.贝克尔补充道, 黛德坚持了下来，并且表现出色，因为玛丽斯特有灵活的时间安排，可以平衡工作和生活.  We encouraged her, but she earned every bit of her degree.  她花了5年时间完成了17门课程，但这只是对Dede坚持不懈的证明.”

霍里肯在2013年获得了综合研究学士学位，但她并没有停下来休息.  “True story – after walking across the stage to receive my diploma, 我听到的第一句话来自(成人本科招生主任)帕蒂·伯恩斯, 谁问我, ‘So what degree are we going for next?’”  After a short break, 在贝克尔和伯恩斯等人的鼓励下，霍里肯继续攻读硕士学位.  这是我攻读整合营销传播(IMC)硕士学位的原因。.  他们告诉我，他们多么相信我，机会之门会继续向我敞开.“确实, doors did open for Hourican, and soon after completing her undergraduate degree, 她被提升为高级学术技术支持专家. 

在学术技术办公室(现为数字教育)工作, Hourican对确保技术对人们有用和改善用户体验的想法很感兴趣.  她补充说, “对我来说, the important part about a learning management system, 例如, is not what it can do, but how it can help people learn.  What value is it adding?”  As a student in the IMC master’s program, Hourican有机会深入研究与她的专业兴趣相关的问题:我们如何将技术提供给能够从中受益的人?  Did the technology do what it said it would do?  If it failed, why?  She also enjoyed the experience of being a graduate student, 特别是小组合作，这是IMC项目的关键组成部分:“我有机会和和我一样积极的学生一起上课, and I found that age is not a barrier to learning or to camaraderie.霍里肯指出，她攻读IMC学位所使用的教科书和材料目前就放在她办公室的书架上, and she refers to them on a regular basis.

2018年，Hourican再次走过毕业舞台，接受她的硕士学位.  Having worked so hard for so long, she is now enjoying the fruits of her labor, those “doors of opportunity” she had hoped would open.  As Assistant Dean in the School of Computer 科学 and Mathematics, Hourican是该学院与商界的外部联系, building partnerships to advance programs within the school.  她还担任数据中心专业人员协会(IDCP)的主任。, 为全球劳动力专业人士提供的在线证书课程, 也是哈德逊中部地区商业计划竞赛的协调员.  这是一个责任重大的角色，她期待着掌握它.  目前, Hourican正在计划一项营销活动，以推动IDCP的注册, and she will draw on her IMC classwork to do it. 

伯恩斯这样描述霍里肯的学术轨迹:“通过坚定的决心和奉献精神, Dede was able to advance her career and hone her skills.  Her story is an inspiration to prospective adult students, proving that hard work and perseverance lead to new opportunities.霍里肯对其他考虑重返校园完成学业的成年学生提出了建议, either undergraduate or graduate.  “Never be afraid to try.  The online format gives you the flexibility you need, 所以，把做功课的时间安排在清晨或午休时间.  Life will happen in between, but you can do what it takes to finish.”  她补充说, “People know that a Marist education has value.  With a Marist degree, people know that you’re a cut above.”  In Hourican’s case, there is no doubt about that.