Those Working with Those in Need Earn Their Own Degrees

Like Marcus, Joanne D. Monaco of Ewing, N.J., went to college directly out of high school, but found supporting herself financially at the same time she attended classes too problematic.

“I tried to keep up with the academic demands while working in order to help my parents with tuition since I was one of six children,” she noted.

However, Monaco’s work life quickly began to supersede her studies. Later, in a full time position in the field of therapeutic recreation, she knew she had found her path.

“I found that I thoroughly enjoyed working with special needs children. Later, when I began working with adults with autism at the Eden Institute in Princeton, I realized that I was zeroing in on my true calling,” said Monaco.

At Eden, Monaco began working with the New Jersey Special Olympics and became the organization’s director in the Mercer County area.

 Monaco learned about Thomas Edison State College through her supervisor at Eden. She enrolled and earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Services degree.

“I just celebrated my 20th anniversary with Eden in June and completed my course requirements in the same month,” she enthused.

Andre A. Monday of Trenton is familiar with the elation of earning a college degree and the connection that Marcus and Monaco have to those in need.

Monday, coordinator of the Trenton PEERS program at the Millhill Child and Family Development Corporation, enrolled at Thomas Edison State College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences.

“Earning my degree is a wonderful and life-changing experience,” he said.  “The courses I took helped me in my career and my everyday life.”

Monday works closely with the PEERS group, which is composed of 24 young men and women from the Mercer County area who are trained to provide violence prevention education to young men and women in their own communities.

“Our focus is on violence prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention and anger management skills,” noted Monday.

PEERS also provides young adults with job hunting and interviewing skills, writing resumes and even lessons on etiquette.

Marcus, Monaco and Monday will join approximately 375 graduates from 26 states and Saudi Arabia who are planning to travel to the War Memorial in Trenton to accept their diplomas at the College’s 37th Annual Commencement ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009.  The College will award more than 2,500 degrees in 2009 and has awarded more than 34,000 degrees since it began providing flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self directed adults in 1972.

About Thomas Edison State College
Thomas Edison State College provides flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self-directed adults. One of New Jersey’s 12 senior public institutions of higher education, the College offers 17 associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Students earn degrees through a wide variety of rigorous and high-quality academic methods that can be customized to meet their individual needs. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, Thomas Edison State College is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies. The College is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy. The New Jersey State Library is an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College. Further information about admission to the College may be obtained by calling (888) 442-8372, via e-mail at info@tesc.edu or by visiting the College Web site at www.tesc.edu.