Transfers thrive in new environment

James Moody is sitting on a bench, talking about adjusting to college life. He's not the stereotypical Gonzaga student. He isn't a baby-faced freshman, straight out of high school. Moody, a 38-year-old mechanical engineering major, doesn't fit the mold.

His college career started in the early '90s, and, as he put it, "failed miserably." Since then, he's worked a variety of jobs, mainly in the construction sector. After growing sick of the seasonal layoffs and the mismanagement of certain companies, Moody said he started attending Spokane Community College and, after getting his associates of arts degree, transferred to Gonzaga.

"You have to go to school if you want to do anything," he said.

Students like Moody, labeled broadly as "non-traditional" students, are becoming more and more common. Often, older non-traditional students generally have to work while also attending school. The Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success, a nonprofit that advocates for low-income families, reported in 2011 that 36 percent of all undergraduate students nationwide are over the age of 25. And it most likely won't stop there; projections show that non-traditional student populations will grow faster than so-called "traditional student" populations over the next 10 years.

Because Gonzaga is a private school, it has its own distinct mission which naturally caters to certain types of students, according to Joan Sarles, assistant dean of admissions and transfer counselor. However, part of Gonzaga's mission is to serve the community, which often means encouraging the admittance of non-traditional students.

This semester, 145 students transferred to Gonzaga, according to Julie McCulloh, dean of admissions. However, the number isn't set in stone as numbers change after drop day.

Sarles is energetic and fiercely committed to her work. When talking about transfer students she gets animated, leaning forward and explaining what she does and why.

"I really feel that my role is reaching out to the local students," she said.

In an effort to do this, Sarles goes to community colleges around the area and helps students figure out how they can transfer to Gonzaga. Sarles said that on average, half of Gonzaga's transfer students have some prior connection to Gonzaga, either through family or friends. The other half are students that attended community college locally.

"There is no typical transfer student," Sarles said. The diversity that they bring to Gonzaga is beneficial for everyone involved, she said.

Jordan Caudil, a 20-year-old marketing major, said he didn't have much of a choice right out of high school. He chose to attend Eastern Washington University because he didn't have the money or grades for Gonzaga.

"What made it possible was they gave me a transfer scholarship," he said.

The scholarship, for which he didn't even apply, convinced him to transfer to Gonzaga this fall.

"Everyone is super nice," Caudil said. "It's a humongous change from Eastern."

Although Gonzaga's transfer population isn't large compared to its sister schools like Seattle University, Sarles said that the abundance of colleges in the area affect this more than any administrative policy.

"I have never been driven to achieve a number," she said. "If they can academically succeed they are admitted."

Terra Donley, a 28-year-old electrical engineering major, took classes at Spokane Falls Community College which would specifically transfer to Gonzaga. She said that Sarles advised her on a monthly basis regarding which classes to take.

Donley, who was home-schooled, said she planned on going to college right out of high school, however, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Donley spent the next five to six years caring for her mother. After her mother died, she decided to go back to school. Her experience of reintegrating into school was "a little bit scary the first week," however, she said everyone has been very friendly and extending.

While transfer students are welcomed academically, the social adjustment can be a bit of a shock, Moody said.

"I'm having to communicate in a different way," he said. As a foreman on a construction team, he said he's used to teaching 18-year-olds how to do everything. Now he's having to learn how to work alongside them. Although it can be shocking, it's not unwelcoming, he said.

"First impression is that everyone is welcoming here," Moody said. "I think we are all here for the same purpose."

Sarles worries about students having unfair prejudices toward transfer students.

"What I would hope is that when students learn that someone is a transfer student, they would step out of their way to meet them," Sarles said.