If asked to describe an undergraduate student here on Grounds, most people would give a description representative of someone between the ages of 18 and 22. And though only 0.3 percent of the University’s undergraduate population is over the age of 25, there is no age cap for attending the University. Despite this disparity, non-traditionally aged students bring unique experiences and insight to the student body, garnered from their adult lives prior to coming to the University.
Whether arriving to the University after serving in the military or transferring after several gap years, the following non-traditionally aged students work through the cycle of homework, studying and exams similar to their freshly adult counterparts.
Fourth-year College student Edgar Hercila is 49 years old and pursuing a double major in Global Studies and English. Prior to his time on Grounds, he had a career of military service. A son of an immigrant, Hercila described a sense of gratitude toward the United States — a feeling that initially shaped his decision to serve in the military.
“I'm a first-generation American, so the idea of America as a privilege is very real to me. I had this feeling of expressing gratitude in life, [for] being an American was through service,” Hercila said. “I knew very well where I came from. I know how I got here. I know where my life would have been had my dad decided not to come from Mexico to the U.S.”
Hercila shared that after deployment, he struggled to transition from military to civilian life. During this time, Hercila said what kept him moving forward was his optimism with each passing day.
“I was immediately deployed out of training, and I was gone for a good while. When I came back ... [everything] that was going to be, ended up not being,” Hercila said. “The house, the business, the fiancée, the child that was going to be and ended up not being and everything else, it was no more. I essentially [was] what you would describe as a homeless veteran … that was my life, and I had to basically come to terms with this is my existence and start all over again.”
Hercila then found new opportunities and veteran support. Thanks to the Posse Veterans Scholars program, a scholarship that enables accepted veterans to attend top universities, Hercila secured a place at the University. That opportunity, in combination with the GI Bill, have financially supported him during his time on Grounds.
Hercila’s path to Grounds is just one instance of a student who attended the University after military service. Similarly, Taylor Tremaine, a 31-year-old third-year College student, has both military service and time at community college on her resume prior to her arrival on Grounds. Like Hercila, the GI Bill has supported her journey as a University student.
Despite the financial assistance, according to Tremaine, coming to the University and navigating the harsh pace of its courses was a transition.
“Being in the Navy made me want to seek out higher education, and since I had the opportunity with the GI Bill, I started off doing community college,” Tremaine said. “But [classes at the University] have been brutal. I had a 4.0 for my two years in community college, and now I'm here wondering if I'm even going to be able to pass my classes.”
In addition to difficulties adjusting to the University’s academic rigor, Tremaine said that at times, it is challenging to connect with peers for group projects because others may perceive her as an outsider due to her age. Tremaine describes that completing group work with fellow undergraduates can sometimes be awkward, even if her appearance doesn’t give away her age.
“I feel like everybody's scared when I tell them that I'm 31, because at first, they think I'm one of them, and then I say [my age], and then I feel like I'm the weird old person in the room — which can make group projects feel intimidating because I already feel like I'm the odd one out,” Tremaine said.
Resonating with Tremaine’s feelings of isolation, Hercila said being a non-traditionally-aged undergraduate student can often come with a deep sense of loneliness — one that extends beyond classrooms or group projects and into other facets of life.
“It's tough to integrate into the U.Va. community. It's a young university … so the people that you would normally engage with [aren’t] there,” Hercila said. “I've been here for two and a half years, and this is one of the loneliest times I've had in my life.”
Aside from military service, there are many other reasons students may return to the University to further their academic pursuits. For example, Kendall Moss is a 26-year-old fourth-year College student who has dedicated much of her young adult life to education. Since graduating high school early in 2017, she has studied at the Otis College of Art and Design in California and Piedmont Virginia Community College before attending the University. Here, she’s rounding out a bachelor’s degree.
During her time in California, Moss said she became dissatisfied with her program and experience. After taking a spontaneous look at the University, Moss fell in love with Grounds and applied to be a student.
“At my art and design school, I really enjoyed what I was learning,” Moss said. “But I found that I was fundamentally missing out on the university experience. [My mom] had been so passionate about her experiences at a big university that was really the classic American university experience … I kind of became dissatisfied with the experience I was having.”
When Moss is not studying, she enjoys spending time with her sorority, Chi Omega. Last year, Moss was elected as the merchandise chair. Despite the age difference between her and the other members of her pledge class, she said that most members have been welcoming and that she has befriended upperclassmen in the sorority.
“There's definitely a distinction there between me and my [pledge class],” Moss said. “I've had such a good experience in Greek life beyond what I expected. But there are also definitely times where I can feel that I have something different about me than maybe my closest peers.”
Moss describes her time spent outside the lecture halls as pivotal in forming meaningful relationships during her experience at the University. Likewise, many students in similar situations look beyond the classroom for a sense of belonging.
For some, this connection comes from student organizations or other Charlottesville-based groups. Both Hercila and Tremaine are part of the Student Veterans Association, which is a group dedicated to fostering connections and creating opportunities for Veterans at the University. Alternatively, Moss roots her extracurricular life in local volunteering with Madison House and creating merchandise for numerous groups on Grounds, such as CavsCARE and the Class of 2026, in addition to Chi Omega.
Regardless of their unconventional educational paths, all three students have established a home within the University community. Though it is not yet clear on what the future holds, they are confident that the University has set them on the right path, unique to each of them.
Hercila, Tremaine and Moss hope age will be less stigmatized among undergraduates at the University. While they constitute only a small portion of the undergraduate population, they bring an array of perspectives and rich experiences to Grounds.
“As far as experiences go, people can be kind of strange about [my age], which is funny, because in reality, we don't have that much [that is] different,” Moss said.
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