Photos by Chris Meyer Sheya Martin at work in the lab at Jordan Hall. The recent graduate begins work on her master’s degree this summer. Sheya Martin (center) holds her son Sam for a family portrait and is surrounded by Dahnovyn (left), DaVyana (right), Shaina (background left) and her husband David.

Now, with her undergraduate studies behind her, not only has Martin succeeded in completing her degree, she also garnered statewide attention when she was named Adult Student of the Year by the Indiana Council for Continuing Education (ICCE).

“It was a great honor. It wasn’t anything I was expecting. I didn’t even know about the award. I am in awe,” said the 31-year-old mother of four. She originally started her undergraduate degree in 1991 at IU Bloomington. Facing financial worries, she left school after one semester.

Martin, a student in IU Bloomington Continuing Studies, was chosen as the recipient of the award based on her exemplary performance as a returning student. The award was presented along with a $500 scholarship at the ICCE annual meeting in Indianapolis on March 4.

“I decided I needed to go back. I just came to the point where I said ‘I’m smarter than this. I can do better than this.’ I felt like I was stuck in a dead-end job,” she said on the decision that prompted her to quit her job in the insurance field, move herself, her husband, David, and their four children—ranging in ages from 5 to 9—from South Bend to Bloomington and enroll in classes.

When Martin returned to school with a general studies major, she was planning to pursue medical school, so she began loading her schedule with science classes. She was taking so many science courses “most of the people in my classes thought I was a biology major,” she said.

Balancing the challenges of raising a family and class schedules, Martin said “it became apparent I didn’t want to be in school the rest of my life.” She decided to drop plans for medical school. Her shift in goals, however, didn’t change her desire to study science. Through a summer scholarship opportunity, Martin became involved with undergraduate research in 2003 in a program administered by biology professor Thomas Donahue. She began working in a research lab under the guidance of assistant professor Richard Hardy and has continued working in the lab for the past two years. Her work in the lab led to an opportunity for Martin to give a poster presentation at a national conference on her research (“The Effect of Helicase Activity on Viral RNA Replication”).

Instead of pursuing medicine, Martin has chosen graduate work at IU Bloomington. She has been accepted in the microbiology department and will begin work toward a master’s degree this summer, continuing her work in the lab and now focusing her career goals in studying infectious diseases. Her dream job: Working in a lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“I’m really excited, but I’m nervous,” she said. “I know it sounds a little clichéd, but I feel the game has been upped. This is another step into the unknown. There’s anxiety anytime you make a transition.”

As with her last step into the unknown in moving to Bloomington, Martin knows she’ll have the support of her husband. “My husband is phenomenal. Teamwork is key. There were many times I would say ‘I really need to study’ and he would drop me off at the library and keep the kids. I couldn’t have done it without him,” she said, adding that when she picked classes, she and her husband sat down together to map out a schedule that would work for the entire family.

She also found encouragement from her church, Cherry Hill Christian Center, and advisers at Bloomington Continuing Studies. Help also came from some unexpected places, like her children’s school bus driver who helped with child care. “She offered to help so I could have time to make it home. Since we don’t have any family here, it’s hard to find people you can trust with your kids,” Martin said.

Perhaps one of the greatest side benefits from returning to school is the inspiration Martin has been, not just to her family but also to fellow students she’s met at her church. “I encourage them to stick with it. Some of them I’ve had in my classes, and the main thing I hear from them is ‘if you can do it with a family, I can stick it out.’ So in that sense, I’ve been able to be a mentor and speak out to encourage them to continue on,” she said.

Her husband has been inspired by her dedication and has decided that he wants to attend classes as well. He registered for classes this summer. But he’s not the only one: Martin is also hearing her children express their interest in going to college.

“They say I’m going to go to this school when I get your age,” said Martin, adding that she enjoys bringing her children on campus to give them the chance to see other students and get a feel for what a college campus is like. “I think they’ve realized, probably because I say it a lot, that education is important…For the most part, they appreciate what I’m doing. At the same time they want me to hurry up and be done with school.”

Editor’s note: IU Bloomington Continuing Studies provides opportunities for adults to engage in lifelong learning. Programs include general studies degrees, the Returning Student Center and diverse noncredit courses in lifelong learning and professional development, Mini University, and Leadership Bloomington-Monroe County. For information, visit

http://www.continue.indiana.edu