Michael Dickerson in his own words
SGA Student Spotlight
This month, we caught up with MLA student Michael Dickerson, a systems administrator in the Law School and president of the SPCS Student Government Association.
What program are you currently studying, and why did you choose it?
I’m currently in the MLA (Master of Liberal Arts) program & I chose it because it seemed like the most fun path to a master’s degree.
How do you balance school with other responsibilities such as work?
As an employee of UR’s Law School, I always must keep in mind that I’m an employee first. To help remind me of this, I take only one class a semester as part of UR’s employee tuition remission benefit to help manage the workload accordingly.
Are there any specific university resources that have been especially helpful to you?
Yes, specifically UR’s accommodations via Disability Services. Dr. Cort Schneider has been incredibly helpful with my return to higher education as a student after almost a decade.
What advice would you give to other adult learners considering going back to school?
Go for it! Don’t let the fear of the unknown stop you from pursuing your dream. Remember, the destination of obtaining a degree is not the goal… the journey is!
What's next for you?
I would like to become an adjunct part-time professor at Reynolds CC, where I graduated with three different associate degrees, so I can share my experience, strength, and hope with other adult students who might be in a situation similar to mine in 2010 when I was laid off due to the recession. When that happened, I left a decade-long career as an AutoCAD designer and transitioned into IT, which was one of the best decisions of my life.
What do you love most about SPCS?
Growing up in Richmond, I’ve always known what UR represents & how prestigious of a university it is, but I would have never been able to come in through the front door. As a 32-year-old non-traditional student, I was able to transfer into UR via SPCS, which became the side door that opened up to a reality that I never thought to dream of.