Age not a factor for college ‘seniors’
John Cater, 62, of Wayne Township, Lawrence County, enrolled at SRU after being laid off from his longtime office job at age 60. He earned an associate degree from Penn State about 40 years ago, he said.
Cater said he was nervous to return to a school environment after being away for so long, but the online format brought about by the coronavirus pandemic actually made him feel more comfortable. He would earn his bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management in December 2021.
“I never went on campus to classes, I went online because it was during COVID, but I was already prepared because of my job,” Cater said. “I chose Slippery Rock because they are one of 23 schools in the country that offer nonprofit management.”
Cater said he found only a little more than 20 colleges offering the nonprofit management program across the country. Because of its rarity, he had classes with people from other states, made possible by the online format.
Cater said he enjoyed the variety of people he met through the program, and the unique classes he took to complete his degree.
“One of the things they do, is you have to design a nonprofit from beginning to end,” Cater said. “Because of this class, we were able to learn about all the parts of a nonprofit. It was nice to see how it all comes together.”
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