In the Dark about Dancing?
Meagan Jolliffe, a native of Canada, moved to the United States in 1992, and after high school graduation she headed to The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. A typical traditional college student, Meagan took university required classes for her freshman year along with one special elective which proved to be propitious —ballet.
Meagan’s dance career had started at age seven with daily rehearsals and technique classes. She danced her way through elementary and middle school but stopped dancing in her junior year of high school due to the move south. Unable to find another dance studio at her new home, Meagan stopped dancing for the next two years . . .until the spring semester of her freshman year.
This class was followed by others in the Dance Department where Meagan earned stellar grades. Though dance class was a personal motivation and long-time passion in her life, she failed to make the instant connection of declaring herself as a dance major until her academic advisor simply asked if she had considered being a dance major and pursuing a career in dance .
Though Meagan excelled in her UNCG dance classes, university required classes suffered. With a plummeting GPA despite her grades in dance classes, Meagan found herself in danger of academic probation. With personal issues becoming a major source of distraction, Meagan eventually dropped out of the University and followed her friends to Wilmington, NC where the beach and sunshine were certain to make her personal situation better.
During the next three years, Meagan discovered her lifestyle to be less than satisfying. Although she vowed to always have dance in her life and found a steady job as a dance instructor, Meagan found herself unhappy and disappointed because of her decision to drop out of school.
Circling Back
After a lot of thought and familial support, Meagan made the connection that her education was the key to her future, and in the summer of 2002 at age 26, Meagan reached out to UNCG and expressed her intense need and motivation to be back in school and to obtain her degree in dance.
Meagan was readmitted to UNCG with a qualifying requirement to earn a minimum GPA of 2.5 during her first semester back in school. Meagan achieved a 4.0 GPA for this first semester and made the Deans List for the next five consecutive semesters—a massive leap from her previous 1.7 GPA. Physically, the dance program was challenging but ultimately gratifying. Her academic pursuits became a passion, and Meagan found herself excelling instead of flailing in her academic courses.
Returning to college as an adult student was simply a better fit for Meagan when she reflects back on her entire college career. As a young adult, Meagan was more interested in social circles than her studies—a common experience for many college students. She credits maturity and focus to be necessary for a successful college experience, two traits that took time to develop.
Graduation with Honors
Despite the difficulties that arose after she left college and those she faced when she returned, her return to the University proved to be worth the effort. In May of 2006, Meagan graduated with honors with her bachelor’s degree in dance. Currently she is a first year Master’s student in the Student Development track in UNCG’s Counseling Department—a program ranked second in the nation.
Her future goals include working with college students as they navigate through higher education, a journey she has experienced from a variety of perspectives and through which she has found her personal and professional “footing.”
To go back to the Adult Student Profiles index, Click Here!
Page updated: 06-May-2009
Difficulties with this website?
Email the Unit Webmaster
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Suite 210 EUC, PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
VOICE 336.256.0300