NORuadUwnalStudenu Diane Perkins. sophomore, reads a book to her son before she begins her home· work for the evening. Balan cing school and familyproved co be a tough task fo r Perkins, a second year nursi ng student and mother of three. One woman, threefull-time jobs Some of America's most talented jugglers are not fo und under the big-top. They are students here on Harding's campus whose everyday rout ine consists of juggling fam ily, school and work. As the graduate programs expand and as more families depend on a fWo-salary income, adults, especially mothers, are coming back to school to get a degree. Diane Perkins, wife and mother of three sons, is one of Harding's nontraditional students. "I came back CO college after 18 years because I wanted to be able to suppOrt my family if something ever happened to my husband," Perkins said. Mter she graduated from high school, Perkins became a certified nurse's assistant and wo rked as an offi ce manager in pediatric clinics in both Tulsa and Dallas. H er love ofchildre n created a des ire to pursue a nursing degree at Hard ing. In a typical day, Pe rkins gets up early to get herself and her fam ily ready for school. H er three sons, ages II , 10 and three, attend different schools in the Searcy area. She drops them offand ison campus for an 8 a.m. class. H er classes end around 4 p.m. and then she either goes home o r to work at the Lightle House Inn. In the evenings, Perkins cooks d inner, tends to housework, and spends t ime wi th her sons. She hel ps with homework, plays games and gers them in bed by 8:45 p.m. At 9 p.m. she is able to study fo r her classes . "My study time is 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. in the morning. At 1 a.m. , I go to bed no matter what I haven't done ye t," Perkins said. "I know I have to have my sleep in order to make it through the week." In addition to her studies, Perkins has been involved in several theatrical performances on campus. One of her dreams is to be an actress on the silver screen. "When rehearsing for The Importance ofBeing Earnest, I would put my sons to bed at 8:30 p.m. and then go back to campus for 9 p.m. practice," she said. Working tOward a college degree nearly twO decades after high school graduation poses several challenges to nontraditional students, accord ing to Perkins. "I want to do well and be accepted JUSt li ke eve ryone else," she said. "Sometimes I think the students expect ce rtain things from me, as I doofthem. We can't always relate to each other because our lives are so diffe rent." The decision to come back to school requi red sacrifi ce and change for everyone in Perkins family. "My sons have to help out around the house more," Perkins said. "They are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and for helping with the dishes ." Acco rding to her son Aaron , 10, the hardest part of Mom go ing to school is coming home and not having her there. "We have to get up earlier and she is not home as much," he said. Caleb, 11 , agrees . "A fri end 's mom picks us up from school now. Mom does n' t get to see us as much as she used to. " Perkins strives diligently to make the mOments count, however. She is devoted to her famil y and takes time to play with and listen to them. "We don ' t get as much quanti ty t ime anymore, bu t we have much more quali ty time," she said. In spi te of the temporary sacrifice she is making, Perkins has no doubt that she has made the right choi ce about return ing to college. "It will all be worth it. This isn' t a was te," she said. "One of my motivations is to be an example fo r my sons. I want them to know that it's better late than never when it comes to getting an education. " - Rachel Wi lson Nontraditional Students 29
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