Barbara J. Wike Scholarship for Non-Traditional Students
College campuses are changing. While many students pursue higher education immediately after graduating high school, a growing number enroll later. Whether they’re veterans looking to enter civilian workforces, employees breaking into new fields, or single parents pursuing educational dreams, more undergraduate students start college in their mid-twenties and later.
Non-traditional students confront unique challenges – a fact UNC Greensboro Development Officer Barbara Wike knows well. Wike – who will retire in August – didn’t start her degree in business administration until 1976, when she was 23.
“I started at UNCG as a receptionist in the Undergraduate Admissions Office,” she recalls. “I took advantage of the University’s staff tuition waiver to take a few classes. It wasn’t long before I realized I wanted a degree.”
Wike became a full-time student and received several donor-supported scholarships. When she graduated in 1980, Wike embarked on a 25-year career in information technology. In 2006, she circled back to UNCG to become a Director of Planned Giving.
“Planned gifts are critical to maintaining long-term excellence,” Wike explains. “I remember discussing legacy gifts with donors and drafting statements of intention with them. Now we’re seeing the effects of their hopes to make a difference. It’s incredible.”