Dee Williams

51, Salinas

My question is, is it important that I get through the semester and get a grade, or is it important that I really take in the work? Different people learn in different ways. I’m hopeful that California is more open to people being able to say, ‘Hey, I learn visually, I learn orally, I learn through doing,’ or ‘I have autism, I have this, I have that.’ None of that should knock someone out or cause someone not to be able to get a grade that really reflects their level of understanding because they couldn’t do it in eight to twelve weeks. … We have the capacity and the desire to accommodate all sorts of learners.”

Dee challenges the idea that there is one moment when college is supposed to happen, or one reason people pursue it. She built a 20-year career in medical sales, including work connected to combat medicine, without finishing college. When she was younger, she needed to work and pay rent, and as her career grew and she kept getting promoted, a degree never seemed necessary. Now 51, her reasons for college are different. She is working toward a bachelor’s degree a few classes at a time because she wants to keep learning. She enrolls when she can afford it and stops when money gets tight rather than take on debt. For Dee, education is something she can return to as her life changes. “You cannot make me ashamed of learning,” she says.