The cancellation of the Onward Program at UMaine came as hard news to take and comprehend for past and present members of the program, who said they owe their success to it.
Earlier in October, it was announced that the program would be the latest to be axed as the University continues its raft of budget cuts. Founded by single mother, Kimberly Hammill in 2000, the Onward Program assists nontraditional students who may be struggling to balance school with a full-time job and children.
Ray Peck, a third-year ecology and environmental science and English student, and Jason Seymour, a second-year nursing student, are testaments to the success the program provided non-traditional students.
“Onward offers a number of advantages to nontraditional students,” Peck said. Most significantly, Onward offers a community amongst peers. While nontraditional students come from a diversity of circumstances and backgrounds, one thing that we all share is that we are not the typical student.
Many of the students who have gone through the Onward Program face circumstances that makes going back to school stressful. Some may not have taken their SAT’s or have a GED, according to Seymour.
“We face unique barriers when it comes to education, and to be immediately thrust into the general population can be very overwhelming. Onward eases nontraditional students into university life by offering first a special orientation wherein we learn that there are others facing similar challenges,” Peck said.
Seymour said that when he applied to the Onward Program, he did not expect to get in.
“They have given me an opportunity to go to college. The program teaches you how to study and be a student. They give you support and structure,” Seymour said.
“Essentially, they provide the motivation nontraditional students need in order to overcome their hurdles. Nontraditional students are a vulnerable group. There are many obstacles that could prevent them from reaching their degree. Onward does everything they can to make dreams a reality for a number of students,” Peck said.
Peck decided to go back to school because he wanted a change in his life.
“I was returning to school after a long hiatus. After spending many years in labor-intensive jobs, I decided that I really wanted a change of direction. I wanted a career to fulfill my interests. My dream is to spend my days working in the outdoors, making a positive difference, loving what I do, and I want to make a decent wage for my efforts,” Peck said.
Peck knew that this would not happen without furthering his education, and was intimidated by the process. He wondered if he would do well enough, or if there was a University that would accept him. Then he got word of the Onward Program.
“The Onward Program accepted me, giving me hope and confidence, and provided me with the tools and resources I needed to not only succeed, but to exceed all of my expectations,” Peck said.
Seymour was a displaced worker. He lost his job in 2012 and did not have a good high school career, and was not “college material” or a typical student.
Now, Seymour is a nursing student in the top 15 percent of his class, and a part of the Golden Key Honor Society. He credits his success to the Onward Program.
“They want students to be successful and build their confidence,” Seymour said.
Peck said he is consistently making the Dean’s List, working an internship in his intended field and living out his hopes and dreams.
“I came with the determination and the will for success, and Onward allowed me to take that to an even higher level,” Peck said.
Seymour said that nontraditional students are unique, in comparison to traditional ones, because they have life experience, work ethic and are serious about their education.
Peck said, “Onward is riddled with success stories. The benefits each student receives varies based on their needs, and that is largely what makes Onward so great.”
“It doesn’t make any sense. Onward works. It has a proven track record,” Peck said.
Seymour said the program had been going for over 40 years, served thousands of people and they have gone forward with great success, becoming doctors and lawyers.
According to Seymour, there was no clear reason why the program was cancelled.
Seymour stressed many mills are closing all over the state, and this is displacing hundreds of people. Many of these people do not have high school degrees, but they want to go back to school.
Peck said, “For some, the traditional methods are going to work well. But for some, Onward is their best chance at success. For those that want that added sense of community, who could take those additional resources and run with them, they should be able.”
With the Onward Program closing, the door is closed for these candidates unless they try going to community college or tech school, and these schools typically require over six years to get a degree, and nontraditional students do not have that kind of time, Seymour said.
“UMaine is in a deficit, and their desire to make cuts is understandable. However there is nothing more important and more powerful than education. It empowers our communities and our society as a whole to have educated people. It is better for our environment, our economy, and for the individuals to have a better quality of life. We should not turn our state’s educational system into a business model,” Peck said.
Although, perhaps nothing more can be done, Peck said, at the very least, people should know what is being cut. Onward changed many lives for the better, and over the course of decades, Onward has given people hope and opportunity.
“Onward helped students get degrees at UMaine who may not have otherwise, and those students have gone on to do great things as productive members of the community. Let it be known that the day we lost Onward was one of sadness for many,” Peck said.