Alexis Watchman

Professor Arini
English 102-09
March 24, 2019
Most of the research done was watching/reading multiple interviews to find over

fifteen questions. The few interviews I chose is between a younger student talking with an

older student and an interviewer asking nontraditional students questions about why they

decided to go back to school. Some of the questions I want to use is asking how the family

felt about the person going back to college and how they felt about returning to school with

a bunch of younger students. Older students I feel like might feel out of place and hearing

someone’s positive experience helps a lot. I think this is a good question because it helps

figure out how she felt when going back to college.

Some of the questions were what motivated them to further their education and

what they had to juggle in terms of classes and family. I feel like this would help people

understand what motivates people to pursue their dreams. This relates to my subject on

how people get motivated to go back to college. A question about how they stayed

organized, so they didn’t miss any deadlines.

Another interview I found was a woman talking about her experience of being a

nontraditional student. A question I’ve chosen was what some of the sacrifices were that

had to be made and what kind of resources on the college campus that you used. Generally,

a lot of nontraditional students have families that they have to sacrifice their time with.

Another question would be what did going through this experience teach you. I think these

are good questions because they pertain to her experience and what it has taught her.
 Transcript for Interview
INTRODUCTION

I decided to interview my grandmother, Katherine Hardy. She is being interviewed because

she is what people consider a nontraditional student. She attended Northern Arizona

University at the age of 33 after having two daughters. I want to teach my audience that

you can still go back to school at any age while having a family and still get a degree.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Hello, my name is Alexis Watchman and I’m interviewing my

grandmother Katherine Hardy who returned to college in 1990 after having two children.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: What made you decide to go back to college?

KATHERINE HARDY: Because I always wanted to be a nurse. I wanted to help people heal

and get better. I wanted to learn how to take care of people and also my parents as they

were getting older.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Okay. How do you think your family felt about you going back to

college?

KATHERINE HARDY: My husband was very supportive of me going back to school and he

was willing to take care of our two daughters. I believe one was going into eighth grade and

the other one was starting kindergarten when I decide to go back to school for nursing.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Did it impact them in any way that you knew of? Did they talk about

it?

KATHERINE HARDY: Not too much. I know I was missing them a lot. It was hard to be away

from my family, my husband and my daughters. So it wasn’t really easy to do but my

husband kept encouraging me and just being supportive so that really helped me.
ALEXIS WATCHMAN: How did you feel about returning back to school with a bunch of

younger students who were freshly out of high school?

KATHERINE HARDY: I was somewhat intimidated thinking that they were smart and

coming right out of high school. I just felt like I've been out of school too long and I wasn’t

going to do that well. But I surprised myself and did a lot better than I expected.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Were there a lot of older students in your classes or was it just

mainly younger students?

KATHERINE HARDY: Once I got into the nursing program, there was 30 of us that were

selected. I believe there were like maybe around 10 older students in my class.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: What were some of the sacrifices that had to be made?

KATHERINE HARDY: Being away from my family at least three to four days out of the week.

Not being able to attend some of my daughter’s school activities and sports. Not being able

to help my husband with some of the household duties and just being there with them

everyday with them was hard.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Did you go back anytime doing the week?

KATHERINE HARDY: Yeah, I would leave for class Monday morning and then I would be

there up until Thursday. I would head back to Tuba City on Thursday after my last class so I

would be home for the weekend. I would be home at least Friday, Saturday and Sunday so

that helped.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: What motivated you to further your education?

KATHERINE HARDY: Out of high school, I had gone one year of college in Kentucky. That

following summer, I met my husband and we just ended up starting a family and working

and that was delayed. So I always wanted to go back to school and it just took me awhile to
finally decide to go ahead and go back to school. I always felt like I had the potential to

finish college and I always wanted to go into nursing. I wanted to contribute to the

household financially.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Did you have any other majors in mind or any other jobs you wanted

to do?

KATHERINE HARDY: I would’ve probably pursued Business Administration, but I didn’t

really know what that all entailed. It was just kind of in back of my mind. With nursing it

was just something that was my first choice and I was able to get an IHS scholarship that

was going to pay all four years of my education. I would just have to pay back four years of

working at an Indian Hospital so that was what I did.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: How did you stay organized while you were going to college?

KATHERINE HARDY: I've always been somewhat organized naturally but had to be more

disciplined to get my reading assignments and any other projects done in a timely manner.

So it was just being older and more mature and knowing this is what I wanted to do and I

just did it.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: The kids weren’t a distraction while you were trying to do your

homework?

KATHERINE HARDY: Not really. I did most of my studying while I was at school, so I tried

to get all my reading done and I just tried to keep up with it. They gave me the quiet time I

needed when I was home to do any assignments or reading that I needed to do. So it wasn’t

an issue.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: What do you think your biggest challenge was going through this

whole experience?
KATHERINE HARDY: The biggest challenge I think is just being away from my family and

not being there to go to their school functions and any activities that they were involved in.

That was hard. Not being there for my husband to help him if he needed help with

household duties and just taking care of the girls so that was probably an issue.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: I’m sure it was easier just being an hour away instead of being

further away.

KATHERINE HARDY: Yeah. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere else but to NAU just because it

was the closest to home. So, if I had to go anyplace further, I probably wouldn’t have done

it. So that made it easier for me.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Did you feel like you were treated like any differently by any of the

younger students or the professors due to your older age?

KATHERINE HARDY: I don’t remember being treated differently being an older student.

The staff and the students were respectful and nice. So, no I never felt like that was a factor.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: What kind of resources are on the college campus for older students?

KATHERINE HARDY: As far as I remember all the students were provided the same

resources such as tutoring services and just like any service with students. Minority

students that were having a hard time they could get counseling and so I think all the

students were probably given that opportunity. I don't recall anything just for older

students.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: There wasn't like a daycare or anything like for people who had kids?

KATHERINE HARDY: I never really had...

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Needed it?

KATHERINE HARDY: Yeah so, I didn't really look into it.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Oh okay. What do you think this experience taught you?

KATHERINE HARDY: Once you set a goal, just to be very disciplined and just to be

determined to do the best you can and work hard. To make your family proud so it just

helped me to be disciplined and just to finish school. Once I started, I wanted to do well.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: What does education mean to you?

KATHERINE HARDY: Education is important in life. To improve one’s quality of life and to

be well rounded and informed. Being able to contribute to the society we live in and feeling

a sense of pride and accomplishment. Also being a role model to your children, family, and

friends and others. So it's very important.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Yeah, did you know of any older people who went back to college

too?

KATHERINE HARDY: There were at least close to 10 older students in my nursing class and

there were others in other fields. Yeah, there were quite a number of other students going

back to school.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: You went back to school in 1994?

KATHERINE HARDY: I went back to school in 1990 to 1994.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: At NAU?

KATHERINE HARDY: Yes, at NAU.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: So in the 90s, there were a lot of older people like there is now in

college?

KATHERINE HARDY: I believe so, yeah.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Would you recommend that people should go back to school?
KATHERINE HARDY: I feel yes if they're able to go back to school. It would be beneficial to

them and there are so many factors to going back to school. But it's an individual choice

just based on all the different factors of that person's life.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Yeah, did you feel like you inspired anyone from your family?

KATHERINE HARDY: Yes, I feel like I’ve inspired my niece a couple of them have gone to

school and both are nurses right now. Also my daughters they have went on to college and

my granddaughter is presently in college. So I’m always encouraging them to continue with

their education; and other family members that you know come to you and ask questions

about going to school at NAU and being in nursing. So I feel like I’ve inspired some to go

back to school or just go to school.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Did you find that paying for college was difficult since you also had a

family?

KATHERINE HARDY: I was fortunate enough to get the IHS scholarship. I was already

working at the hospital for eleven years as a medical clerk in ICU and in the operating

room. So I had worked eleven years before I decided to go back to school for nursing and

there at the hospital, they had the HIS scholarship which I applied for and I got that

scholarship. While I was in school, they had a minority scholarship for nurses so financially

everything was pretty much paid for. So I didn’t really have any problems in that area.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: I’m sure it was a lot cheaper back then than it is now.

KATHERINE HARDY: Yeah, I think so I think most of the colleges the cost seems to just be

going up.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Yeah, it’s ridiculous. If you could go back in time to being at college

for the first-time, what kind of advice would you give yourself?
KATHERINE HARDY: I would say stay in college and finish before starting a family. Just so

that you know once you’re done your four years and get yourself established in a career.

Then hopefully you meet someone that you're in love and have a family with. But I

recommend finishing school first. That would be the way to go.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Hard to juggle having kids at the same time as trying to do your

school work if you did stay at home and go to college.

KATHERINE HARDY: Yeah, I think so. For some students, they have their kids with them

there on campus. So they’re going to school and some just going to the babysitter. I’m sure

some of them were able to juggle it and just work it out. I was fortunate enough that my

husband was willing to take care of our daughters and that way I was able to not stress too

much about that and just concentrate on my studies.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: What were some of the advantages do you think about returning to

school at an older age?

KATHERINE HARDY: Just being more mature. I was more focused and disciplined in my

studies and determined just to do it. I had sacrificed a lot already. With the IHS scholarship,

if you don’t finish your education the amount that they fund you, you must pay back. With

this his scholarship I was under, they wanted you to come back to the reservation to an

Indian hospital and to work the four years to pay back with your service. I was already

working at the Tuba City hospital so it wasn’t an issue. I already knew I was going to come

to the hospital to work so it worked out just fine.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: What does IHS stand for in the scholarship?

KATHERINE HARDY: Indian Health Service scholarship

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Was it easy to get a job after you graduated?

KATHERINE HARDY: After I graduated in 94’, I had to study for my boards so you know just

being really determined to pass that exam the first time around. You take that exam to get

your license to nurse. So once I was able to accomplish that, I applied to the Tuba City

hospital and I was able to get a job on the med surgical floor so it worked out really well.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: It’s easier to get a job in the health care field because their always

needing new people generally.

KATHERINE HARDY: Yeah, they really needing nurses and doctors especially in the remote

areas like on the reservation. Nursing is a real good field because there's so many different

types nursing that you can do and then you can also transfer like if you want to do

something different like medical surgical floors or the adult clinics, Pediatric, intensive Care

Unit. All different kinds of nursing you can get into. If you’re into administration you can be

an administrator. Educator. so many different aspects of nursing that makes it good.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: So what was your life like after graduating?

KATHERINE HARDY: I like nursing. It was just getting used to working the long hours over

on the med surge floor we worked 12-hour shifts. It was hard getting used to being on your

feet all day for 12 hours. My legs would just be throbbing at the end of the day. It wasn’t

easy. After I did that, I went to the adult clinic and the pediatric clinic. I did the clinic for

about almost 2 years. after that I went into public health nursing. That was where I stayed

for about 17 and a half years doing public health nursing. I really enjoyed that. I was able to

go out into the remote areas and make home visits to the elderlies, the Navajo people. So

that was very fulfilling and I really enjoyed doing that.

ALEXIS WATCHMAN: Thank you so much for talking to me and letting me interview on

your experience of going back to college at an older age. I think you brought a lot of
perspective to people who want to go back college at an older age but feel like maybe

they’re too old and they’re not going to be able to retain as much information. Thank you

for talking to me.

KATHERINE HARDY: Your welcome.

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