Bachelor of General Studies graduating student Ash Pearce entered into the BGS program from what might seem an unexpected avenue.
“I was originally a Dance major at Temple in the fall of 2016. I continued within my major for a couple of years but unfortunately ended up having some really severe health issues in the spring of 2019 and had to withdraw,” said Pearce, who will be among the forth cohort of the Bachelor of General Studies program that will receive their diplomas at the University College Graduation Ceremony on May 8. “Six years later I’m doing well and wanted to return to college and finish what I started. Temple had sent me information about the existence of the BGS program and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to complete my degree — with the credits I already had, I only had one semester left of coursework.”
Spurring on their decision to return to school, according to Pearce, was the result of the most recent national election.
“I had been waiting for politicians to do the things that I wanted them to do. I’d have ideas and people would tell me ‘You should do something with that,’” they said. “I decided, okay, I guess affecting change will be my job; I’m going to be the one to make the changes that I want to see. I didn’t want to wait anymore — I had 22 credits left to take and decided I needed to do that in one semester.”
Taking a winter course helped spread the wealth, Pearce said, “and the rest I’ve been completing this spring.”
“It was challenging at first, partially because I had forgotten little things, like how Canvas works, and the kinds of things that teachers are looking for from you when you are taking a test,” they said. “It didn’t take long to click back into gear, however — it was like riding a bike. My brain was like, all right, we’re back in school, let’s get to work.”
The faculty and staff involved in the Bachelor of General Studies program “really make a lot of time for their students — they are there to help you succeed and it really shows in every interaction,” Pearce said.
“There is just a true openness and willingness to help guide you through the program — you’re never on your own,” they said. “I am not in Pennsylvania, I’ve been taking my courses online asynchronously and I have to say I really enjoy the online model that they’ve created. You are able to create a pace that works best for you and take courses that are of most interest to you.”
Pearce said they have been focused on courses “that relate back to the political field and policy development.”
“For my final project in my capstone course, for example, I researched views on abortion to determine what influences people on each side from a non-biased, no opinion standpoint — what factors influence your views and why,” they said. “I’d like to work with the ACLU on the litigation side of things. I had originally thought of going strictly into public health policy instead of public management, but I kind of wanted to keep my possibilities open if I’d like to work with non-profits down the road.”
Degree in hand, Pearce already has the next step of their journey mapped out.
“I’m going right into a master’s program in Public Management at Johns Hopkins University in the fall. I think I might like to work on political campaigns, or I might like to become a state representative myself,” they said. “I think the BGS program has really helped prepare me for the future, especially having had the opportunity to conduct research into different analytics and study the results. I’m ready for whatever comes next.”
The Bachelor of General Studies is designed for learners with prior college and at least sixty transferable credits who are ready to complete their undergraduate degree. The 120-credit bachelor’s program focuses on creating a solid foundation for a wide variety of careers and it allows students the opportunity to customize their degree path. Learn more about the Bachelor of General Studies here.