It’s Never Too Late: One Woman’s Return to College After A 50-Year Pause
Fifty years after first setting foot on a college campus, Patricia Preuss found herself starting over. Her educational journey began in 1971 at a four-year university, but after several years, self-doubt and depression led her to leave school and focus on work and family. “I got married, had children, moved, changed jobs—life kept moving,” she recalled. “Then I became very ill and couldn’t work. One morning I just woke up and thought, I want to try college again.” With limited financial and emotional resources, Patricia walked into Rappahannock Community College, ready to discover what college in the 21st century was like—and to see if she could finish what she started decades before.
“I don’t remember what I asked when I walked in, but suddenly Kelly Osuanah (college navigator) was there, handing me papers, asking me questions, and registering me for classes,” said Preuss. “She took me to the young woman in Financial Aid who filled out the forms for me. So, within about an hour, I was suddenly, at 65, a student again.” She then went on to talk about her advisor. “Everyone I encountered was so supportive. My admissions advisor, and financial aid as I said, the women in the Admissions office who helped me to convince the computer that I was a live human. Christina Tidwell, my Advisor/Counselor was crucial to my surviving RCC, without her I would have quit the second week,” continued Preuss. “I had decided to take classes online because of my health issues, but I was 65 and knew practically nothing about computers. Christina met with me every week to explain computers, Office, Blackboard, online classes, how to use the camera, and mic, and join virtual classes.”
“My main goal in coming back to college had been to complete what I had started 50 years ago, and to hopefully find a way to do some good in the world,” said Preuss. “My hope was that I could actually finally graduate. My greatest fear was whether I could actually do the work, and would I be able to cope with socializing.” Preuss admits that she had not interacted much with people since she became sick 25 years before.
But at RCC she felt supported, “My professors, fellow students, the Library staff, and the people in the testing center, were all very patient, and kind, and made learning easier than I had anticipated,” she said. “The wonderful financial aid office staff were crucial in setting me on the path to financial aid. I always made sure to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as the opened each year.
There were other personal obstacles that challenged her. “The mini strokes I’d had years before left peculiar gaps in my thinking, making it more difficult to read, and also left me with no short term memory. Fortunately, I was told that there are such things as ‘accommodations’ now, and I applied for those. These were just what I needed. I was permitted a blank piece of paper & a pen to write down the question that appeared on the computer screen, because when the screen changed to the answer choices screen, I’d forgotten the question. Seriously. So frustrating. The staff in the testing center were marvelous and were so patient! Answering my same questions over and over every time it was time for a new exam.”
RCC taught Preuss how to function in the 21st century, how to use computers, and online resources for research, and how to take online classes, which she continued to do at her 4-year school through Covid, and beyond.
“Everyone at RCC was incredibly warm, welcoming, patient, and helpful. Which made returning a wonderful experience,” said Preuss. “I would definitely recommend it to everyone. It’s a good way to get your toe in the door to higher education. Children in my family have taken community college classes simultaneously with high school, so it’s good for that, and it was a gentle return for me after almost 50 years, like wading in at the shallow end, rather than being pushed off the high dive into the deep end.”
“RCC prepared me well and last May I graduated from Mary Baldwin University with a 4.0 grade point average and a bachelor’s degree! I couldn’t have done it without my experiences at RCC first,” said Preuss.
“I think for some reason people look down on community colleges, and I think that is a huge mistake. Community colleges are for everyone who want to improve their life. My advice would be, come in like I did, meet some people, ask questions, start at your comfort level. Take classes for fun. Take classes to improve your life. I met many students here who were studying nursing or business, while raising families, and working. They were so inspiring. Attending RCC was a positive, life changing experience for me.”