PBS CAMPUS | Success Stories

SHANA PERERA
Tackling college...but family still comes first

While many adult learners talk about juggling school and family responsibilities, Shana Perera learned about that juggling act firsthand during her own childhood. She used to be one of those balls being juggled.

"My own mother worked and went to school full time during my growing-up years and was consequently absent much of the time," she says. "I always knew I didn't want that for my own kids. I want to be involved in their daily lives."

Now Perera has many balls of her own to juggle: a daughter in third grade, a daughter in preschool, a one-and-a-half-year-old son, and a devoted husband. Not to mention college courses.

"My husband and I are very committed to one another and our family, and he frequently works 60-hour workweeks to provide for us," she says.

Still, Perera's life was not so busy that she viewed a college education as impossible.

Eyeing a Better Future

"After I had my son, I realized how much I wanted to create my own dream of becoming a registered nurse," Perera says.

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She looked locally to Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) in Lakewood, Colo., as the ideal place to start her journey. RRCC offers exactly what a busy mother needs to gain an education without sacrificing family life: distance education.

"The majority of my courses were online [or] telecourses and other distance learning programs," she says. "I was able to manage my time more efficiently through these [formats], with a little more flexibility than a standard course requires."

This allowed Perera the flexibility to succeed in her juggling act.

"Countless naptimes and evenings were spent studying, and I got just as much if not more out of the distance classes then I did in traditional classes," she notes.

Finding Inspiration in a PBS Telecourse

One particular comparative religion telecourse, which airs as the program Beliefs and Believers on Lakewood's local PBS affiliate, KRMA, did more than leave a lasting impression on Perera.

"[This class] struck me as the most important, and I even wrote a letter to the Colorado Board of Education to try to make it a mandatory requirement," she says.

In her letter, Perera makes an impassioned case for the course:

I went into this class as any college student would, with the intent to just gain the credit necessary and move on. Instead, I came away from this course with enlightenment only a world traveling experience could compare to.

I learned about Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Muslim, Jewish faith, Christianity in various forms, and nature religions such as Native Americans practice, among others. I feel very strongly that this course should be a requirement of college graduation. The society in which we live today is very diverse, and the United States proudly proclaims our diversity in all aspects of our society. Yet many people do not have tolerance or understanding for other religions, and this is imperative for the promotion of peace.

Telecourses such as Beliefs and Believers allow adult learners to travel through fascinating worlds of ideas, finding inspiration along the way — all from their living room sofas.

The Ins and Outs of Distance Education

Perera holds no doubts about the value of distance education in her life.

"Distance learning has allowed me to pursue my degree when I otherwise could not have," she says. "I can log in or record a show to watch at a time that is convenient for me, due to my family's schedule and flexibility needs."

In particular, though, she enjoys the telecourses. "The lectures and interviews give dimension to the coursework in the comfort of my own home," she says.

Still, she cautions that the lure of comfort and convenience could give potential adult learners a false sense that the work will be easy.

"One piece of advice for potential distance learners is that you absolutely must be self-motivated," she says. "You must set your own deadlines and keep yourself on track."

The Reward to Come

Perera has one more semester left before finishing her associate's degree at RRCC. "I am getting ready to enter Regis University's Nursing Program to receive my bachelor of science in nursing and can hardly believe what I have accomplished!" she says.

And she knows just how she will define success: warm sand between her toes. "A goal after I get my bachelor's degree is for our family to move to south Florida close to the beach, something that we could not otherwise afford," she says.

And life on the beach would make a nice finale to a well-performed juggling act.

Article written by Greg Rosenthal

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