Vol. 5, No. 1: Spring/Summer 2009
Coming Full Circle
by Jennifer Piurek
A former Groups student advises for the program while she pursues a graduate degree in nutrition science
When Kimberly Jenkins became pregnant in 1993, her first year at IU as a Groups student, Groups advisors Gordon Hershey and Roger Gildersleeve, now the associate director for student support at Groups, believed in her ability to complete school and continue her education.
“That was a difficult time for me,” she said. “Roger was really instrumental in supporting me by staying in contact with me throughout the semester. I knew it wasn’t an option to stop school: I had to figure out how to raise a child and be on campus, and they gave me the support I needed to do that.”
Hershey’s practical advice on housing was crucial to her success. “During the advising meeting when I informed him that I was expecting to have a baby, I explained that I wanted to stay in school, but was contemplating moving off campus. Gordon recommended that I look into family housing because it was close to campus and had resources for students like a computer lab. At that time I didn’t even know family housing existed,” she said.
“I am so thankful that he told me. It was very convenient since it was easier for me to walk to class, my daughter’s day care was located within walking distance, and I took advantage of the computer lab. I spent quite a few late nights there with my daughter sleeping soundly in her car seat,” said Jenkins. “I even had the opportunity to take on a leadership position through involvement with the student council in my apartment complex.”
Jenkins completed her bachelor’s degree in education with a concentration on secondary general science in 1999. Now a mother of three who is pursuing a master’s degree in nutrition science, she has come full circle as a Groups advisor for up to 50 students per semester.
“I feel very fortunate and blessed to be part of the staff at Groups,” she said. Because Groups students are assigned to advisors both by area of focus and geographic region, Jenkins works with pre-nursing students and students from the Indianapolis area, where she grew up.
Groups also supported Kevin, Jenkins’ boyfriend at the time, now her husband, who enrolled at IU as a Groups student in the summer of 1993 as well. Kevin left school for a while, but re-enrolled at IU shortly after the two were married in 2001.
“His success, when he did return, stemmed in part from the financial support and academic tutorial support—especially with calculus—of the program. Groups has been an instrumental part of our lives as first-generation college students. In addition to providing us with the avenue to receive our degrees, the experience has helped us to better prepare our children and encourage them to even excel beyond what we have achieved in their own academic pursuits.”
This year, she is advising about 40 freshmen. Jenkins has three scheduled meetings with her freshmen each semester, plus any additional meetings that pop up.
“Most students who come to IU start out in University Division,” she said. “We go through similar training as University Division advisors and work with students until they certify into their schools—and even longer, if they prefer to keep working with us.”
Jenkins also teaches a pre-nursing course to Groups students hoping to attend nursing school. Her class gives students an idea of what nursing schools are looking for in applicants; facilitates shadowing opportunities at Bloomington Hospital with practicing nurses; and invites guest speakers from the profession to visit the class.
While she hopes to become a practicing nutritionist one day, Jenkins loves her current job and being able to help students reach their goals through a program that has given her so much.
“One young girl struggled academically, although she was gifted in terms of her abilities,” Jenkins said of one of her advisees. “We met on a regular basis in planning for classes and goal planning, from good standing and probation to critical probation to dismissal, and finally being back with a passion and focus. On her own, she just came to the realization that something needed to change in her life. There was just this transformation that took place in her life, and now she’s a straight-A student.”
Jenkins felt proud when she saw her first crop of students go from high school seniors to college graduates in 2004. “Seeing how these young people who came into the program have matured into young adults who are now going off into their careers or graduate school is just so rewarding and exciting,” she said.
These days, Jenkins keeps up with former students online through Facebook. “It’s really nice to have that tool to be able to connect with students I haven’t seen in a long time and see pictures of their families. I love to hear about their success.”
Jennifer Piurek is a Web content specialist at Indiana University and a freelance writer in Bloomington.
