Jackie Gilbert's college story
A Story of Perseverance
Jackie Gilbert Reflects on Her Path to Loyola.
Jackie Gilbert thought her college story would be like that of a traditional student when she first enrolled in university after high school. Yet she chose to take some time off due to family circumstances. When she became a single mother after losing her husband during 9/11, she postponed her aspirations of attaining a college degree once more.
Throughout the years, Gilbert focused on raising and providing for her four children, a role she speaks of with immense pride and joy. She always held onto the dream of returning to college to pursue her degree, something her entire family knew.
She had a little plan to enroll in a program when her youngest daughter started college. However, she took the opportunity to be a caregiver for her grandmother, an amazing woman who held a job until she was ninety-six and lived to almost a hundred one years old. “I feel like the timeline was meant to be, because the program I was looking at prior to finding Loyola did not have everything I wanted,” she said.
Gilbert’s higher education enrollment got bumped one more time when her mother got sick right after her grandmother passed away. Gilbert moved into her mother’s house and took care of her mom until she passed.
"This has been the best thing I have ever done for myself personally that didn't have to do with my family." Jackie Gilbert, 2024 School of Continuing and Professional Studies
With the help and encouragement of her oldest son, she found the program at Loyola, one that suited both her educational goals and professional needs. Gilbert fondly recalls her son coming across the programs at SCPS, knowing it was the perfect fit. Before telling Gilbert about SCPS, he called the school to vet the program, “He didn’t want to put the idea of the program in my lap and have me experience another roadblock,” Gilbert explained.
After speaking with the dean and staff at SCPS, she knew she had found the right school. Not wasting any time, she pulled together her application packet, and upon acceptance she immediately began. “My heart was already in it. My head was in it, and I was hungry for it. This has been the best thing I have ever done for myself personally that didn't have to do with my family,” she says.
Gilbert recalls feeling nervous about returning to school after thirty-five years. “I can remember my fear in the beginning of not knowing how to navigate technology and being old school. That was very daunting, but the professors are so amazing. It's part of why I love being a SCPS Ambassador because I get to tell anyone who has the same fear about returning to school that there are supports to help.”
“The staff are so supportive, lovely, and all have such a calming spirit.”
Gilbert acknowledges the significant role that school services and technological support played in her academic success. Having a supportive community, both at home and at school, was instrumental in helping her overcome the initial fears and challenges of returning to education after a long hiatus. “The staff are so supportive, lovely, and all have such a calming spirit.”
Gilbert's experience underscores the significance of support services provided by SCPS. Creating accessible educational opportunities is the cornerstone of the school’s mission, tailoring its offerings to meet the diverse needs of non-traditional students like Gilbert.
SCPS has consistently shown excellence in its online programs, because of the dynamic community and engaging learning environment, which is designed to be flexible, interactive, and supportive. “I never realized how much I would be able to feel that I was part of a community doing something fully online,” shared Gilbert.
Life is busy. We get it. At SCPS we offer online courses and transparent scheduling options.
The realization of her dream after thirty-five years fills her with intense feelings, particularly as she reflects on the connections she made and the sense of belonging she found at Loyola. “When I think back to each of my four children’s graduations, I was so overcome with emotion, and I can’t believe how similarly I feel now about myself. It's unbelievable how full circle this has come and out of order, you know, to be the parent now on the other side of college, graduating.”
Considering what is next, Gilbert is driven by her lifelong passion for psychology and a desire to specialize in grief counseling and hopes to pursue a graduate degree. As she continues to redefine herself beyond the labels of motherhood and widowhood, she sees her journey as an opportunity to help others navigate similar challenges. “I'm hoping to go right back into school. I can't leave. The funny thing is I like to challenge myself and graduate school is my goal.”
As Gilbert prepares to graduate, she does so with deep gratitude for her college experience and the supportive community that helped her along the way. “You have so many cheerleaders and so many people ringing bells for you. Everybody wants to see you cross the finish line and it's the most amazing feeling.”
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Throughout the years, Gilbert focused on raising and providing for her four children, a role she speaks of with immense pride and joy. She always held onto the dream of returning to college to pursue her degree, something her entire family knew.
She had a little plan to enroll in a program when her youngest daughter started college. However, she took the opportunity to be a caregiver for her grandmother, an amazing woman who held a job until she was ninety-six and lived to almost a hundred one years old. “I feel like the timeline was meant to be, because the program I was looking at prior to finding Loyola did not have everything I wanted,” she said.
Gilbert’s higher education enrollment got bumped one more time when her mother got sick right after her grandmother passed away. Gilbert moved into her mother’s house and took care of her mom until she passed.
With the help and encouragement of her oldest son, she found the program at Loyola, one that suited both her educational goals and professional needs. Gilbert fondly recalls her son coming across the programs at SCPS, knowing it was the perfect fit. Before telling Gilbert about SCPS, he called the school to vet the program, “He didn’t want to put the idea of the program in my lap and have me experience another roadblock,” Gilbert explained.
After speaking with the dean and staff at SCPS, she knew she had found the right school. Not wasting any time, she pulled together her application packet, and upon acceptance she immediately began. “My heart was already in it. My head was in it, and I was hungry for it. This has been the best thing I have ever done for myself personally that didn't have to do with my family,” she says.
Gilbert recalls feeling nervous about returning to school after thirty-five years. “I can remember my fear in the beginning of not knowing how to navigate technology and being old school. That was very daunting, but the professors are so amazing. It's part of why I love being a SCPS Ambassador because I get to tell anyone who has the same fear about returning to school that there are supports to help.”
Gilbert acknowledges the significant role that school services and technological support played in her academic success. Having a supportive community, both at home and at school, was instrumental in helping her overcome the initial fears and challenges of returning to education after a long hiatus. “The staff are so supportive, lovely, and all have such a calming spirit.”
Gilbert's experience underscores the significance of support services provided by SCPS. Creating accessible educational opportunities is the cornerstone of the school’s mission, tailoring its offerings to meet the diverse needs of non-traditional students like Gilbert.
SCPS has consistently shown excellence in its online programs, because of the dynamic community and engaging learning environment, which is designed to be flexible, interactive, and supportive. “I never realized how much I would be able to feel that I was part of a community doing something fully online,” shared Gilbert.
The realization of her dream after thirty-five years fills her with intense feelings, particularly as she reflects on the connections she made and the sense of belonging she found at Loyola. “When I think back to each of my four children’s graduations, I was so overcome with emotion, and I can’t believe how similarly I feel now about myself. It's unbelievable how full circle this has come and out of order, you know, to be the parent now on the other side of college, graduating.”
Considering what is next, Gilbert is driven by her lifelong passion for psychology and a desire to specialize in grief counseling and hopes to pursue a graduate degree. As she continues to redefine herself beyond the labels of motherhood and widowhood, she sees her journey as an opportunity to help others navigate similar challenges. “I'm hoping to go right back into school. I can't leave. The funny thing is I like to challenge myself and graduate school is my goal.”
As Gilbert prepares to graduate, she does so with deep gratitude for her college experience and the supportive community that helped her along the way. “You have so many cheerleaders and so many people ringing bells for you. Everybody wants to see you cross the finish line and it's the most amazing feeling.”