When Tanya (Triana) Woods ‘23 lost her job as a result of a mass layoff in the aircraft industry, she decided to turn her situation into a positive life change. She returned to college to explore a new career.
Woods had an interest in the medical field but knew nursing was not for her. She’d heard Newman University had a great radiology technology program and decided to pursue that further.
She looked into state funding, found a program she qualified for and headed to the Newman admissions office to start her new adventure.
Along the way, she would discover new things about herself and end up right back in the aircraft industry — only this time — with a business focus.
The beginning of a journey
When Woods was accepted into the radiology technology program, she found an on-campus student job in the alumni office helping with events and clerical work, which she said helped her feel more connected to the university.
However, within the first six months of the program, she began having doubts about radiology technology as her field of profession.
“Sadly, many of the reasons why nursing was not in my personality existed in radiology,” explained Woods. “Learning I would still be giving someone a shot or putting in an I.V., I realized quickly that radiology might not be for me, but I kept pushing myself to finish because it was what I had chosen.”
As she continued to push forward, Woods was very busy at home with two young boys and a teenager to raise, one of whom had regularly scheduled physical therapy sessions to attend. In the quick-paced radiology technology program, missing even one class meant missing out on a lot of information, and this was working against her.
Woods continued forward with her original plan, however. When she entered her next semester, which included working with professionals in the hospitals and learning in a real-world environment, she became more certain a medical career wasn’t right for her.
“I decided I needed to change paths. I had a great experience with the instructors who are amazing, caring people who will go out of their way to make sure you succeed. But it was just not for me.”
Switching gears
A visit with Teresa Wilkerson, director of adult and professional studies, helped Woods develop a plan to forge ahead on a different path.
“I have always had a head for business, but I just did not know what I wanted to do. But I knew that rad tech was not for me, and I did not want to go back to the shop floor in aircraft.
“When I went into work the next day helping in the alumni office, I talked to my boss who put me in touch with Teresa Wilkerson. I went to talk to Teresa, and by the time I did I was an emotional mess in her office.
Wilkerson worked with Woods, explaining the university’s interdisciplinary studies degree and how her current credits could be used to get a degree that would help her both reach her goal of a business focus and use the medical classes she had taken.
By her third semester, Woods was on her way to earning a new degree — one that she could customize to her future career goals.
A positive experience
Woods said her overall experience at Newman as a nontraditional student was better than expected.
“I had the most amazing teachers. I loved the small classes and the individual attention. Every professor I had, from rad tech to business, seemed to make it their personal goal to see students succeed.”
Every professor I had, from rad tech to business, seemed to make it their personal goal to see students succeed.
Tanya Woods ’23
With a new degree on the horizon, Woods settled into a comfortable and natural pace, knowing she’d made the right decision.
“Teresa was always there to lend a hand if I did not understand an assignment or just to lend an ear when I needed to vent,” said Woods. “I also liked that we had to take a class to help us understand how to sell our degree in interdisciplinary studies.
“She was always there to help, and she was so patient helping me figure out a path forward when I thought I was not going to be able to finish my education.”
Woods said she learned new things about herself along the way. She became more resilient, confident and gained clarity about her future and where she wanted to end up.
While she ended up back in the aircraft industry, Woods had a new perspective on where her career could go.
“I am currently back at Spirit in supply chain, and I can honestly say I love my job. I found a job that was a good fit for my family, my personality and my skills, which I learned both on the job and at Newman.”
Advice from a nontraditional view
As a nontraditional student, Woods had more than just coursework to think about. She was raising three kids, had just gotten laid off from a job after six years and had just started dating her now-husband.
“I had some baggage to say the least,” she said. “And it was intimidating going back to school after 15 years. But every student, professor and faculty I worked with was amazing.”
From bringing one of her sons to a class to working around multiple schedules — including her student work hours — Woods learned that life would only get in the way if she let it. And she did everything in her power to stay positive and on course.
“I think the hardest part of being a nontraditional student is finding where you belong and getting that connection to the school,” she explained. “It is so easy to just get wrapped up in going to class and getting out of there because you are not in the same season of life as most of the other students, so you have less connection. Working in the alumni office helped me feel that connection.”
When asked what advice she would give to other nontraditional students, Woods said the first and most important thing is to find a way to connect to the school. Networking, talking to the professors, finding a student job, joining in on events and volunteering were experiences she never regretted fitting into her schedule.
“Nontraditional students can’t be afraid to put themselves out there. We may not get the normal college experience, but it can still be a great experience.”
Earn a degree in interdisciplinary studies
Have you found yourself part-way through a degree program that isn’t the right fit for you and are concerned switching your degree would delay graduation? Interdisciplinary studies might be the degree for you!
