{"id":42085,"date":"2019-05-05T11:06:24","date_gmt":"2019-05-05T15:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=42085"},"modified":"2019-05-05T11:13:35","modified_gmt":"2019-05-05T15:13:35","slug":"after-returning-to-finish-degrees-couple-will-graduate-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2019\/after-returning-to-finish-degrees-couple-will-graduate-together\/","title":{"rendered":"After returning to finish degrees, couple will graduate together"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"subscriber-preview\">\n<p>When Amanda and Bobby Housden started college more than a decade ago, they started off strong. But, one thing led to another, and life became so busy that school got placed on the back burner and they left college. However, two years ago, the couple dove back into the books through Eastern Mennonite University Adult Degree Completion Program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>On Sunday, during <a href=\"http:\/\/www.emu.edu\/commencement\">EMU\u2019s commencement ceremony<\/a>, the Shenandoah couple will be among 28 students to receive an undergraduate degree in leadership and organization management.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"highlight highlight-right\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.emu.edu\/commencement\">More on EMU&#8217;s May 4 commencement ceremonies.<\/a><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tncms-region-article_instory_top\" class=\"tncms-region hidden-print\">They say graduation day is even more special because they will be receiving their diplomas together.<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>\u201cWe supported each other,\u201d said <strong>Amanda Housden<\/strong>, 34. \u201cI\u2019m proud we did this together.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>Amanda Housden, a 2003 Page County High School graduate, started at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave after high school.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>A short time later, her grandmother became ill. In 2006, Amanda Housden gave birth to her first child, Hailey, now 13.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>As a result, she put college on hold.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p><strong>Bobby Housden<\/strong>, a 1993 Luray High School graduate, started taking classes online through University of Phoenix in 2007. He took a class here and there, but ended up stopping.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>With some credits already completed, in 2017, the couple learned about EMU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/leadership-organizational-management\/\">Adult Degree Completion Program<\/a>, so they gave it a shot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>Bobby Housden started in August 2017, while Amanda Housden began in January 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p><strong>Margo McIntire<\/strong>, program coordinator for EMU\u2019s Adult Degree Completion Program, said it is perfect for people in similar situations as the Housdens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s designed to enable working adults who want to complete their bachelor\u2019s degree to be able to do so,\u201d McIntire said. \u201cThe greatest strength of our program is that we follow a cohort model,\u201d she said. \u201cThey start and finish the program with the same people. They support each other because they have similar challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>One of the benefits, she said, is the classes meet once a week on the same day for the entire program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>The Housdens chose different ways to help accommodate their busy lives. When one was in class, the other was watching their two children, Hailey and Kinsley, 6.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t need to make child care arrangements,\u201d Amanda Housden said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>In addition to caring for their children, both maintained full time jobs. Amanda Housden is the human resource and benefits administrator at BRCC, while her husband is a senior business consultant at Badger Fire Protection in Ruckersville.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>\u201cJuggling all that on top of school was difficult,\u201d she said. \u201cWe really found that we had to be disciplined \u2026 to set aside time to do our schoolwork.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>They had no problems staying focused.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tncms-region-article_instory_middle\" class=\"tncms-region hidden-print\">\n<div id=\"tncms-block-702425\" class=\"tncms-block\">\n<div id=\"CMSv2_Article_300x250\" data-google-query-id=\"CJ_6ocLUhOICFU1kwQod3aAEGg\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/1032081\/CMSv2_Article_300x250_0__container__\">\u201cWe\u2019re both overachievers,\u201d she said. \u201cAverage is not acceptable to us.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>While taking classes, both gave things up, including sleep for Amanda and hunting for Bobby. However, they made it a point to never miss any of their children\u2019s extracurricular activities, including cheerleading and softball.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>\u201cYou give up down time,\u201d Bobby Housden said. \u201cA lot of your free time is now spent doing work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>McIntire said she\u2019s proud of the work the students have done. \u201cOn a regular basis, I\u2019m humbled by the things I see our students accomplish,\u201d she said. \u201cThey are so committed. For a lot them, it was a dream that they had before, but life happened. Now they get that second chance.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>Amanda Housden said she hopes her story is inspirational for other parents. \u201cIt\u2019s never too late to get your degree,\u201d she said. \u201cThis program makes it possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>She also says it\u2019s an important lesson for her children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>\u201cAs first-generation college graduates, we hope to set the precedent for our kids, and future grand kids,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriber-only\">\n<p>After graduation, the couple plans to enroll in the graduate program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Amanda and Bobby Housden started college more than a decade ago, they started off strong. But, one thing led to another, and life became so busy that school got <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2019\/after-returning-to-finish-degrees-couple-will-graduate-together\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"more-link\">... read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about After returning to finish degrees, couple will graduate together<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12546,16077,17562],"tags":[6795],"feature":[17427,17426,17241],"class_list":["post-42085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adcp","category-commencement-alumni","category-digest","tag-diversity","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>After returning to finish degrees, couple will graduate together - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2019\/after-returning-to-finish-degrees-couple-will-graduate-together\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"After returning to finish degrees, couple will graduate together - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When Amanda and Bobby Housden started college more than a decade ago, they started off strong. 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