詹妮弗·兰多会毫不犹豫地告诉别人. 事实上，当她这样做的时候，她充满了骄傲. 

她46岁，是个非传统的大学生. 原产于阿克伦, 纽约, 她是两个孩子的母亲, 一个12岁的儿子和一个10岁的女儿. She’s a military veteran, she lived in Germany for six years and worked at Home Depot for 15. 

She’s a coach, a teacher, a role model, she hopes, for her children and others she interacts with. 

很快，这个名单就会增加. Soon, Landow will accomplish something she admitted that she never thought would happen. 她将从全球网赌十大网站 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. 

如果有什么是兰多赖以生存的, 追求你的梦想永远不会太迟, 找到自己的激情，把计划付诸行动. 这就是她所做的. 

“你可以随时回去实现你的梦想，”她说. “I finally found a career I am passionate about — one that I really, truly love being a part of. 在体育教育环境中, 能够培养孩子, 不仅仅是身体上, 但在情感和认知上. It’s a very rewarding experience, and it adds to how proud I am to get my bachelor’s degree.” 

Landow returned to the United States in 2002 and worked at the Olean Home Depot store for a number of years. It was sometime in between then when she discovered that she had a love for youth coaching and working with children. 

Landow has coached flag football, youth tackle football, YMCA basketball and other sports. She currently is the head coach of the Franklinville community swim team. She also volunteers with the Franklinville High School’s varsity swim team, 它与奥利恩和波特维尔学校相结合. 

“在我的一生中，我一直都很享受并热爱运动, I played softball for 14 years between school and the military. When I was coaching, I found my passion working with children and developing the youth. That is what led me into deciding I wanted to go back to school to be a physical education teacher.” 

Landow, who attempted to complete some schooling while she was in the U.S. 军队, went back to school full time at Jamestown Community College in 2017, 她在那里待了两年才转到博纳.

“St. Bonaventure's financial assistance through scholarships and grants made my years at Bona’s possible. Without out them, I don't think I would have been able to finish my bachelor's degree," she said. 

在同一个跨度中, Landow stopped working retail and started gaining experience in the local school system as a substitute teacher in 2018. 

“I know many teachers from Franklinville Central School District who are Bonaventure alumni,”她说。. “They had nothing but excellent things to say about Bonaventure’s education program. 学校本身对我的情况来说很方便. I needed a school that was close, with an excellent teaching program. 这对我来说是双赢的.”

Landow在St. 博纳旺蒂尔就是一个典型. Not many college students have the amount of responsibility she has. 

“The whole college scene was not remotely in my sights,”她说。. “我一毕业，就去当校队游泳教练. 我会离开大学游泳队，去当社区游泳队教练. I would get home and make sure my children had their school work done, and get them ready for bed. Then, I would sit down and do my school work, which would take me to midnight or later.” 

But that’s not to say Landow did not find her niche at Bona’s. 她与St联系。. 博纳旺蒂尔的退伍军人服务, interacting with other veterans and non-traditional college students. 2019年春天, 她参加了一年一度的“退伍军人去阿西西”之旅, 允许兽医去阿西西, 意大利, 圣的诞生地. Francis, and experience moments of peace, acceptance, and self-discovery.

"St. Francis was a soldier before he gave his life to God," she said. "It was an enlightening experience, being able to tie the military aspect with St. 弗朗西斯,全球网赌十大网站和我自己的基督教."

Landow also joined the Physical 活动 Club (PAC) and helped out with Women in Sports Day. 

“PAC, several of us also had the opportunity to go to the physical education conference at Turning Stone Convention Center in fall 2019,”她说。. “It was a great opportunity to meet other teacher candidates, 专业人士, 和供应商, and to get instruction and seminars that were geared toward many different areas and topics within the physical education program.”

She also made an impact on others, even if she does not know it. Landow’s story and relentless work ethic set an example for traditional college students.

博士. 保罗Brawdy, associate professor of physical education and director of physical education and sports studies, having the opportunity to teach Landow and watch her grow as a student and person is what makes being an educator so special.

“To be in class with somebody who has this laser-like focus on what she wants out of this experience, 并且愿意不惜一切代价得到它, 这是一个教员的梦想,布劳迪说. “To inspire other students to find things inside themselves that they didn’t know existed, 它只是提升了整个团队的水平.” 

兰多再过几天就要毕业了. She hopes to find a full-time teaching job in the area in a physical education department. 与此同时, 她将继续担任代课教师, gaining more experience and developing further as an educator. 

She believes she will find the position she has longed to be in. 她说，这需要一些时间. 

但兰多以前也找到过自己的路. 她有信心她会再做一次. 

现在, 即将毕业, she’s proud of who she has become and who she will continue to be. 

“I feel that what I have accomplished later in life is being a good role model for my children and the youth I coach, 告诉他们一切都不晚,”她说。. “I can say that probably 15 or 20 years ago, I would have never imagined myself finishing my degree. 在我开始当教练之前，我从来没有想过这个问题. I feel that being a good role model for our youth is very important.” 

布劳迪为兰多设想了很多事情. Most importantly, though, her character will take her the furthest. 

“She is going to be a really valuable part of any community she finds herself in,布劳迪说.

迈克·霍根(Mike Hogan)， 21年
2020年12月