Higher Learning

Amanda Clark went to Saint Paul College to pursue one passion and unexpectedly discovered another.

"When I graduated from high school, my ambition was to be a chef," says Amanda Clark. "That was my one passion in life, cooking."

Clark chose Saint Paul College fresh out of high school after a number of friends told her that the school had a well-regarded culinary program. Her own research confirmed their recommendations. "I shopped around a bit and compared schools," she recalls. "I thought Saint Paul College would be a good fit because it was a lot more affordable and the instructors were knowledgeable and experienced in their field."

Soon after beginning classes, however, Clark realized she'd be happier if she viewed cooking as a recreational pursuit rather than a professional career. Almost as an afterthought, she landed a work-study job tutoring in the College's Academic Support Center, a resource where students can get help with homework from their peers. That's when something unexpected happened. "I fell in love with higher education," she says. "I've always loved learning. A lot of students I was tutoring were taking liberal arts classes. I liked the content of those courses and I wanted to know more."

Bidding adieu to cooking, Clark switched her focus to an associate of arts degree, and the Academic Support Center became her home away from home. "I tutored there for the whole two-and-a-half years I was at the College," she says. "I was very involved with the center and helped it create materials and workshops for students."

Clark eventually found that her new passion was working with adult learners. "I think adult learners are more motivated to learn because they're [in school] because they want to be, and not because they have to be," she says. "There are also a lot of opportunities to learn from them because adult students have had a variety of life experiences."

The ease with which Clark reached out to help students of all ages and ethnicities did not go unnoticed. "Amanda has demonstrated the ability to connect with a diverse group of students from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels," says Saint Paul College History Instructor Kurt Kortenhof. "I had her in a Minnesota History class and also in a U.S. Immigration and Ethnic History class. She excelled in both. The next semester, she did a very nice job tutoring students who were in those same classes."

Last fall, Clark enrolled at Metropolitan State University to pursue a baccalaureate degree. "I had no intention of going to Metro State but a friend recommended I take one course there," she says. "I fell in love with the school and decided that's where I wanted to be rather than a private institution like Hamline or even the University of Minnesota."

Attending Metro State was a smooth transition. "I think Metro and Saint Paul College are similar in that they cater to many nontraditional students and have very diverse populations," she says. "I really like that. Personally, it's been very enriching. I'm a strong believer in nontraditional learning and learning outside the classroom, and also that your peers often have as much to offer you in the way of sharing experiences as your instructors. With a diverse population, you have the opportunity to see a lot of different perspectives. That's very valuable because that's what you're going to find in the workplace and in day-to-day life."

After she graduates from Metro State in the spring of 2009, Clark plans to go to graduate school to earn a master's degree in English as a Second Language. "It's an investment," she acknowledges. "But the good thing is that, because I went to Saint Paul College, I'm not $40,000 to $50,000 in debt after my first two years of college. I have a lot of friends who started at bigger universities who are deeper in debt now than I will be when I graduate with my bachelor's degree."

Even though she abandoned a culinary career, Clark did finish enough coursework to earn a Baking and Cake Decorating certificate at Saint Paul College. It would certainly be fitting if she baked an elaborate cake a few years hence for her grad school graduation party.

Phil Bolsta is a Blaine-based freelance writer.

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