Nontraditional students are WCTC students: Jaimie Sponder ‘23, Human Resources and Leadership Development
At Waukesha County Technical College, more than 40 percent of students are nontraditional, meaning they are older than age 25. Their road to education may have been postponed or interrupted for any number of reasons, among them full-time work, caregiving responsibilities or a change in career. Recent graduate Jaimie Sponder '23, is one of those students. Learn more about Sponder and the path that brought her to WCTC.
When Jaimie Sponder was 19, and many of her peers were heading to college, she took a different path. She became a parent, having her first daughter, and put her schooling on pause. At 24, she completed her high school diploma, earning her GED. She had hoped to further her education, but life took a few more unexpected turns: she got married, welcomed a bonus son and had three more daughters. She directed her energies to taking care of her family and became a stay-at-home mom.
As her children got older, Sponder reentered the workforce part time. She began at the YMCA in 2015 as a volleyball coach and later, worked in a variety of customer experience roles.
In fall 2021, with unwavering support from her husband and children (and boss and coworkers), Sponder decided the time was right to enroll at WCTC. Now in her 40s, she began in the dual-degree Human Resources and Leadership Development program – and just months later, she received a promotion at work, becoming the membership director at the YMCA of Greater Waukesha County, Southwest Y.
New responsibilities, challenges during on path toward degrees
She found herself juggling new work responsibilities; classes, projects and exams; and numerous family commitments. In addition, Sponder’s mother became critically ill and spent three months in a coma. Sponder was her mother’s healthcare power of attorney and primary caregiver, spending countless nights in the hospital at her bedside.
Sponder continued to take tests, participate in Zoom classes and complete assignments, as she knew her mother would have wanted her to keep going and achieve her dream. Sadly, Sponder’s mother passed away in spring 2022, but Sponder kept her promise, earning two degrees in December 2023.
Sponder said she could not have persevered had it not been for the encouragement and compassion from those in the WCTC community.
“The staff made it clear – in that first class – that flexibility was on the table, contingent on effective communication beforehand. I found this policy to be a game-changer,” she said. “The instructors at WCTC are not just knowledgeable; they genuinely care and are there to help you succeed. (Their) embrace of flexibility and empathy has undoubtedly made the academic journey for adult students like myself manageable and enriched, with a sense of understanding and support.”
While the road to a degree took a few decades longer than she had anticipated, Sponder said walking across the stage in December and earning those degrees was among one of the best days of her life.
“Despite my unconventional path, deviating from the norm added a unique and special flavor to my journey, making the achievement all the more significant and personal for me,” she said.
(A version of this story also appeared in the print edition of the spring 2024 WCTC IMPACT.)