PPN: You mention the camaraderie between women who participate in this program, but how do the GPAs of women in the Re-Entry Program compare with other students at PPCC?
JA: During the fall semester women in the Re-entry Program had a 3.35 GPA compared with a 2.86 GPA for all PPCC students; during the spring semester women in the Re-Entry Program had a 3.24 GPA, while all PPCC students had a 2.82 GPA.

PPN: How would you define the Women’s Re-entry Program?
JA: Well, technically speaking I think that nationwide it usually encourages women 27 and older to return to school. It could be a community college, or it could be a four-year school. It’s aimed mostly at women who may have never been in school or who are coming back to school. A lot of the people in the program are displaced homemakers - someone who may have been a homemaker and then got divorced and really doesn’t have the kinds of skills she needs, doesn’t have a job, and needs to be re-trained to get skills, to go out and get a job. One of the most important pieces of the program is to give people that support and help them understand that they’re not alone - to help them work on their self-esteem and realize that there are all kinds of different women in that category who go back to school and that by being together they each offer each other a lot of support. Women have a special set of needs - especially women who are struggling with some pretty big life-changes.

PPN: I’ve come across research that sometimes, when there’s a mixed group, a number of women will be reticent to speak up.
JA: There’s lots of research that shows that when women have their space and their ability to talk among themselves they are much more forthcoming about the things they worry about and about things they need to improve or change. You’re right -if men are in the room it really makes a difference.

PPN: Do you have a success story to share?
JA: It’s a true story about a woman who drove out here in her battered old “ beater” that barely made it and she sat in the parking lot on the east side of Centennial. She couldn’t summon up the courage to come inside – but she had enough courage to come back again. So she came back. She did the same thing – sat in the parking lot - she just couldn’t get out of her car and come in. The third time she got out, came in, and let people help her. She enrolled in school and became a successful student.

PPN: When did the program start?
JA: We started it again last July (2004); that’s when we had our first workshop with volunteer mentors from among the college community. It really didn’t work out well. Lot of people were excited about doing it but then - when it came to following through and even calling their person they were assigned - most of the people didn’t do it.

PPN: What is your biggest challenge as director of this program?
JA: One of the challenges for me is that basically I’m in charge of four rather extensive areas at the college and I’m not always around. Sheila Bieker, our office manager, has done a lot of the legwork for the re-entry program. She’s really interested in it as well. Both of us did go back to school and part of my wanting to do this is the understanding – emotionally and socially - how people feel when they have a life-changing event and then go back to school and really have to face changes.

PPN: I had been out of school for a while and then went back. My mother said to me “If you can study for ten minutes at a time, that’s ten minutes you have under your belt”. Initially it was hard for me to concentrate. After a while I could concentrate for 15 minutes, then 20…
JA: That’s wonderful advice - it really is! A lot of us really don’t have the skills to study for 1 ½ hour intensively – I’m not sure I ever did.

PPN: How does a woman get involved in this program?
JA: There are women who ask around and find out who works with the program. The contact information is 540–7501 or sheila.bieker@ppcc.edu. . We have fliers and postcards that we sent out. We have some fliers at the The Urban League and the Women’s Resource Agency and at many other agencies that women in this situation may frequent.

PPN: Does a woman have to be a student at PPCC to participate in this program?
JA: She probably would need to have some intention of going back to school because the program is designed to teach women what they need to know about all our resources for them. But people come sometimes who are already in school who can encourage others.

PPN: Do you offer one-on-one services?
JA: We do although I wouldn’t say that it’s in a structured way. A number of women have come and just asked if they can talk to me, which I think is wonderful and sometimes they talk with Sheila. They know that we are involved and committed to it. I’m always happy to talk with anybody who’s interested. Women can feel free to stop by or contact us by phone or email.

PPN: Sometimes I’ve had difficulty going through changes – it’s almost like I’m stuck in quicksand. Do you ever hear stories like that from women who come in?
JA: When I returned to school, I had just gotten divorced .I had never worked (outside of the home) and I was 44-years-old. I had to do something. The first class I took after I got into my program was a statistics class. The first three times I opened the book I just sat there and bawled because I was absolutely sure that I could never figure this out and I just wasn’t smart enough, and I already had two degrees! Understand that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from; most of us have the same insecurities. I almost dropped out of the program and I said, ‘I’m not giving up. I know I can do it.’ I even got an “A” in the class. It took a lot of hard studying - a lot of those ten-minute study periods!

PPN: Where do you receive funding for the program?
JA: The college gave us $1,000 for this year which, in my opinion, is not nearly enough; and I’ve have been scavenging to find money. This is a very difficult year for the college financially and for higher education in Colorado. I’m certainly not blaming anyone and I hope next year there will be more of a commitment. Marketing and communications within the college has helped us a lot, which I really appreciate.

PPN: Do you have any dreams and wishes for the future of the program?
JA: Well I’m quite sure it will grow, and I think it will prosper. I feel confident about that. I plan to retire in about two years, and I hope that somebody will take it over who is really committed to the program and excited about it because I really think it’s a worthwhile program.

PPN: What do you think about a Men’s Re-Entry Program?
JA: I was actually going to bring that up! I think we should have a MREP. I think there’s a tremendous need. Right now men are identified at the state level as an underrepresented population. Pretty much nationwide in community colleges about 60-65% are women, the remainder are men, obviously. In community colleges, in particular, there’s real imbalance. Men are really being looked at now as a population that needs help and support – a population that we need to try to get enrolled more in community colleges. When community colleges first started, mostly in the ‘60s, the ratio was either equal, or there were more men than women. The balance has tipped so I think there’s a great need. One of my goals is to find somebody who might be interested in trying to follow the same model and start a Men’s Re-Entry Program. I think returning men have all of the same anxieties and need all of the same assurance, same support.

PPN: I’ve read that some learning techniques work better with women, some better with men.
JA: That’s true and you can actually break it down for them according to ethnic groups. I read a study that states that African-American males have considerably different study patterns from Caucasian males. We need to look at that because there are many different ways to learn.

PPN: Is the program available on all three campuses?
JA: It’s certainly available to students on all three campuses. I’m here (CC) four days a week and I try to go to Rampart one time a week. We put the workshops on all three campuses; we have one day here, one day there. It’s certainly available to all students who are interested.

PPN: Do you have a resource section where a woman might get a copy of an article or a videotape?
JA: Well, that’s something we don’t have yet. I have visited a couple of Women’s Re-Entry Programs. The next step possibly is to have a special resource section in the library; that’s what we need to do.

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