His fellow students in Psych 1 some focused, some sleepy, many tattooed and serially pierced are familiar because theyre his childrens generation. The undergraduate routine of texts and tests inspires deja vu because hes lived it before, never mind that it was about 25 years ago. Remove those touchstones and not much else looks the same these days in the 9 to 5 life of Bob Opel, sophomore nursing student. At age 48, Opel is back in school, one of a growing number of non-traditional students pursuing healthcare-related bachelors degrees at UVM.
For Opel and his fellow "non-trads," the decision to return to college is a leap into both future and past. Its not an easy move, but the desire to find more fulfilling work and helping others is often the impetus to leave behind a successful career and secure finances for a new direction.
Drinking coffee in the Living/Learning Marche one morning last week, Opel isnt in danger of being mistaken for a "traditional" undergraduate. But in a baseball cap and flannel shirt, hes just as unlikely to be identified as the general counsel and chief administrative officer at Blue Cross/Blue Shield, a post the Vermont Law School-educated attorney held for more than ten years before returning to college this fall.
Opels first experience with nursing education at UVM came through his work on the schools advisory board, where he brought the perspective of one well-versed in the business side of healthcare. Learning more about the nursing field and UVMs undergraduate curriculum as a board member tipped the scales in a direction theyd been increasingly leaning since the day Opel began part-time work as a firefighter and emergency medical technician in Montpelier eight years ago.
"The EMT and firefighting work was really satisfying in a way that the work I was doing for Blue Cross wasnt. It was very concrete, very immediate, very much person-to-person," Opel says. "I felt like Id gotten something done every time I was on a call. Someone was having a very bad day and we were able to make it better."
But, viewing EMT work as "a young persons game," he sought an option that would allow him to continue in healthcare for the next twenty years or longer. Opel says he didnt rush his decision, knowing that the income drop from corporate attorney to undergraduate student would require the guts of a cliff diver. Still, his family (his wife teaches English as a second language and they have five children between the ages of 22 and 12) was behind it. Opel says, "We knew there would be a sacrifice, but I havent second guessed it for a minute."
Past lives, present choices
Midway through the semester, Opel feels like hes finding his rhythm with the textbooks. But he marvels at his fellow undergrads, the nursing majors in particular, for their ability to assimilate new information quickly. "Im doing fine, but the brains not as plastic as it once was," he says with a smile. "A lot of what I did as an undergrad the first time through (Harvard, economics) just required being pretty smart. I was able to miss classes and still fake myself around a lot of stuff. You cant do that in this program, and thats a good thing."
Still, Opel looks forward to putting the classroom behind him and digging into the parts of the nursing curriculum that provide a strong grounding in fieldwork. Thats when his EMT skills, comfort with the clinical setting, and the life experience of a 48-year-old father of five figure to come in handy. With nearly 25 percent of the current UVM nursing undergraduates non-traditional age cohorts, Opel doesnt lack for moral support in the ranks. "We all have past lives that were carrying around with us," he says. "Weve all made a choice, struck a balance, had something to lose. Were doing this for a reason."
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