The university is not always a right path. For some, it starts later. For others, it starts again.
This spring, more than 150 students graduated from Arizona State University through a path designed to support learners with various life experiences and education trips. They are part of a growing community – more than 7,000 learners to date – which have been admitted to the ASU as part of the university admission program.
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How ASU helped this student who amounts to rewrite his story
Ryan Abernethy did not finish the university the first time, but thanks to the deserved admission and the Asu-Uber partnership, he had a second chance
Designed to eliminate traditional obstacles to higher education, EA provides a flexible route to intake. There is no GPA requirement, no transcription and no standardized test. Students register for online universal and self -proclaimed learning courses provided by ASU teachers and only pay if they are satisfied with their note. Credits can be applied to more than 100 ASU diploma programs.
The result is a model that makes room so that learners succeed in their own words, and graduates crossing the scene this can be proof of what is possible.
From academic dismissal to the dean list
Griffin SNIDER had abandoned the college after being disqualified academic in 2022.
“I was at the bottom of the rocks,” he said.
He then discovered the ASU universal courses.
Now SNIDER is graduated with a diploma in data science and a GPA of 3.81. This fall, he began a master’s program in commercial analysis at WP Carey School of Business.
“It’s not just a diploma,” said Snider. “This is proof that a setback does not define your trip. The admission won gave me the opportunity to go ahead – not based on my past, but on what I could do for the moment.
“I thought I was not university equipment. Now I know I just needed a path that worked for me. ”
A new goal after an injury
Joshua Bell had long been fascinated by genetics. But after a traumatic brain injury and a bad fit with a previous college, he needed a new start.
The ASU biological science program, with a concentration in genetics, gave it this path.
“The ASU gave me the opportunity to continue something to whom I have always felt deeply connected,” said Bell. “The admission won was a turning point. It helped me rebuild my confidence and taught me life lessons that went beyond the classroom. ”
Never too late
Donielle Seymour did not follow a typical college calendar. Uber driver and participating in the ASU partnership with the company, Seymour graduated in studies on liberal arts at 64 years old.
“The graduation means that if you want something, you can get it,” she said. “I am proud of the fact that I got my diploma. The program helped everything – questions, subsidies, encouragement. ”
Perseverance, redefined
For Daniel J. Perry, 24, the trip to graduation was marked by stops and departures – and a determination to continue.
He graduated in technological entrepreneurship and management after years of balance between work, uncertainty and personal reverse.
“The ASU diploma means the end of a long arduous first cycle trip,” he said. “I feel like I’ve finally finished what I started.”
Create a space for first generation students to prosper
Sheila Dimitriadis, a first generation student in graphic information technology, said the program helped her balance school, work and family.
“The ASU diploma is deeply significant for me,” she said. “This represents not only my own success, but the hopes of generations in front of me. The admission won made it possible to continue to continue my own conditions. ”
A model designed for access
The gained admission is part of the ASU Universal Pathways portfolio.
In 2024 alone, more than 12,000 learners signed up for more than 26,000 courses eligible for credit as part of the program.
Marco Serrato, vice-president of the ASU learning company, said the program reflects a greater change in the way institutions must support various learners.
“Real access is more than inclusion. It is a question of designing ways that adapt to the circumstances, objectives and deadlines of people,” said Serrato. “These graduates are proof of what is happening when learning systems are designed for real life.”
The program is not a shortcut but a bridge to help rewrite the academic stories of unconventional students.
Whether they launch a career or end something that they once thought out of reach, these graduates show that progress does not require perfection – just a real chance to start again.
