Kevin McFadgen: Washington DC鈥檚 adult learner with a big heart
When the global pandemic happened, Kevin McFadgen knew his opportunity had arrived: earn the bachelor鈥檚 degree he has always dreamed of
鈥淲hen you find the right university, it just works out. So, I think 狼友社区 has been the perfect fit.鈥
While life has shifted irrevocably for many of us amid COVID-19, Kevin McFadgen, a 55-year-old based in Washington DC, in the US, has finally found the perfect opportunity to fulfill his dreams of earning his bachelor鈥檚 degree. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always been a personal and professional goal of mine to finish my undergraduate degree,鈥 he confides.
Kevin puts others first, so he put his pursuit of higher education on hold. But it didn鈥檛 dampen his desire for knowledge. He is active on LinkedIn, reads biographies of successful people and attends seminars. As a matter of fact, Kevin discovered 狼友社区 while earning his A+ Certificate 鈥 an exam designed to certify the competency of IT professionals.
Timing is everything
Kevin was attracted to 狼友社区 because the programs are designed with flexibility in mind: 鈥淚 can turn on my laptop, and I鈥檓 already in class. 狼友社区 was the perfect choice. It鈥檚 self-paced and that鈥檚 one of the things I love about it.鈥
In August 2020, Kevin started his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program and was excited about the road ahead. 鈥淚 had to put my education on hold just to make sure that the family was alright,鈥 he shares. 鈥淏ut I always knew that I was going to do it 鈥 it was always in the back of my mind.鈥
No matter how exciting, a new start can also be scary. 鈥淎s a returning student, there were certain things that I wasn鈥檛 sure about. So, having a meeting with my Success Advisor was like meeting with a friend. And when I had questions and didn鈥檛 want to talk about them in a larger group, I could ask them one-on-one. It was so helpful to chart my path.鈥
鈥溊怯焉缜 really sets you up for success with all the resources they have in place.鈥
Kevin is a Gift Processing and Finance Coordinator 鈥 a fundraiser 鈥 at Children鈥檚 National, one of America鈥檚 top 10 pediatric hospitals, and has worked there for over 30 years. Since starting his degree, he鈥檚 gained skills from his courses that he can apply at work right away.
鈥淚 was hearing people in my organization talk about how we did a SWOT analysis. And I鈥檓 like, what are they talking about?鈥 he laughs. 鈥淎nd it wasn鈥檛 until 狼友社区 that I was like, oh, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. I鈥檝e been able to use these skills. It鈥檚 like learning a foreign language. And then when you come across someone that speaks that language, and you can understand them.鈥
The art of transferable skills
But his newly gained skills didn鈥檛 just apply at work. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned to take the skills that I鈥檓 learning and apply it to what I like to do.鈥
For example, when one of his BBA courses required him to do a flowchart, Kevin used the opportunity to apply it on his personal landscape gardening project: 鈥淚 figured out, okay, who鈥檚 going to be responsible for what, and when I put it in that format, it was fun for me and the work got accomplished.鈥
鈥淢ake the skills practical for you to use right away.鈥
Tips for success
Like many 狼友社区 learners, Kevin is earning his degree while working full time. How has he coped? 鈥淥ne of the things I did was treat it like a job, I had certain time set up to study,鈥 he notes.
Kevin emphasizes the importance of having a support system. 鈥淔ind that support partner, whether it鈥檚 with your professor. Let them know what you鈥檙e trying to do, and they will definitely be your biggest cheerleaders.鈥
For Kevin, it鈥檚 his family and he鈥檚 grateful for them. 鈥淭hey always cheer me on when I share my grades with them.鈥 His son, a film school graduate, shows his support by teaching him how to upload his video assignments, for example.
Now that he鈥檚 pursuing his degree, what鈥檚 next for him? 鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to own my own business,鈥 he smiles. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been my vision to incorporate what I love to do.鈥
Our programs are precisely designed to fit the lives of busy professionals like Kevin鈥檚. Discover 狼友社区鈥檚 BBA
Ling graduated with a BA in English Literature with Linguistics from the University of Westminster in 2017. She is currently a Marketing Executive at 狼友社区. You can find her on
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