{"id":50977,"date":"2023-05-30T08:27:55","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T12:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=50977"},"modified":"2023-06-29T11:31:38","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T15:31:38","slug":"45-years-later-bas-al-program-offered-recent-utc-grad-a-chance-to-finish-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/45-years-later-bas-al-program-offered-recent-utc-grad-a-chance-to-finish-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"45 years later, applied leadership program offered recent UTC grad a chance to finish degree"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Robyn

Robyn Berry, who participated in May 5 UTC commencement ceremonies, completed her bachelor’s degree after joining the BAS-AL program. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Right after graduating from high school in 1978, Robyn Berry went to college where she grew up in El Paso, Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went for a year and decided it wasn’t for me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

About six years later, another stint in college got her within 23 credit hours of a degree, but marriage, children and other obligations in life prevented her from making it to a diploma.<\/p>\n

In 2021, she enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and, 45 years after she took her first college class, she earned her degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel wonderful and accomplished. It just feels like closure,\u201d she said minutes after her commencement ceremony on May 5. \u201cI wish my mom and dad were here. My dad would be really proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just any degree she earned, either. She is one of the first five graduates of the new bachelor\u2019s in applied science: applied leadership degree, a fully online program designed for adults who have prior college and\/or work experience, but haven\u2019t been able to complete four-year degrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw it and my heart started beating and I was like, \u2018Oh, no, no, I can\u2019t finish it,\u2019\u201d Berry said. \u201cAnd, I don’t know, just the more I thought about it, the more I started getting excited. Not finishing is something that I’ve always regretted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Chancellor Stephen Angle congratulates Robyn Berry.<\/p><\/div>\n

Not only is she one of the first graduates, she also was named Outstanding Senior in the BAS-AL program for the 2022-2023 academic year.<\/p>\n

\u201cRobyn has been a dedicated student, working diligently to complete all of her coursework and maintaining her grades throughout the process, which is why we selected her for the Outstanding Senior award,\u201d said Dr. Beth Crawford, UC Foundation professor and program advisor for the Learning and Leadership programs. \u201cContemporary learners like Robyn are the primary focus of this degree program, which provides opportunities for online learning and completion of a bachelor\u2019s degree in a flexible format that meets their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berry, who has lived in Chattanooga for about 12 years and works for CHI Memorial Mountain Management Services, said she is grateful for the support and encouragement of her two grown daughters, her fianc\u00e9 and co-workers for making it possible to earn her degree.<\/p>\n

Her two daughters, 35-year-old Lauryn Beard who lives in Reno , Nevada, and 32-year-old Carly Patterson, who lives in Chattanooga, attended her graduation.<\/p>\n

Beard said she was \u201cvery proud and very happy\u201d for her mother\u2019s accomplishment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hadn’t felt like she was living for herself for a long time. I’m also not surprised because that is her personality,\u201d Beard said.<\/p>\n

Berry\u2019s sister, Kate Watkins from Dallas, Texas, also was at the commencement ceremony and said she had tears in her eyes while watching.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe works hard, has goals and sticks to them,\u201d Watkins said.<\/p>\n

Berry\u2019s fianc\u00e9, Jim Lockwood, echoed Watkins.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m not surprised that Robyn returned to school. She is a lifelong learner and loves a good challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe worked really hard for this day. I am so happy for her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

From left: Dr. Andy Browne, Robyn Berry and Dr. Beth Crawford.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Robyn Berry, who participated in May 5 UTC commencement ceremonies, completed her bachelor’s degree 45 years after she began college.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1105,"featured_media":50978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122460,123864,56,7712,8244,99051,661],"tags":[119407,119406,122687,83248,122799],"class_list":{"0":"post-50977","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advancement-and-alumni","8":"category-applied-science","9":"category-college-of-health-education-and-professional-studies","10":"category-faculty-and-staff","11":"category-honors-and-awards","12":"category-online-learning","13":"category-students","14":"tag-bachelor-of-applied-science-in-applied-leadership","15":"tag-bas-al","16":"tag-commencement-2023","17":"tag-elizabeth-crawford","18":"tag-robyn-berry","19":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n45 years later, applied leadership program offered recent UTC grad a chance to finish degree | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - 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