Kristie Stremel - "Kick-ass Musician" and Non-Traditional Student

"It's only recently that [Kristie Stremel] really found her artistic voice—a yearning, take-no-prisoners attack that can't help remind you of Chrissie Hynde and early Tom Petty. Half bar-band rocker, half punk, she splits the difference with the iconic familiarity of the former and the no-rules abandon of the latter on an album that's every bit as kick-ass as the Hold Steady, but without the cynicism."

That's what Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen of Harp Magazine had to say about Kristie Stremel's music. But there's another side to this Kansan. She's also a non-traditional student, back in school at 34 to earn a degree in visual arts education. In Matt Bechtold's interview with her for The University Daily Kansan, she says, "I’m glad I did it this way. I’m glad I spent 10 years on the road and played shows and did whatever I wanted to do. Now I’m just so much more focused and interested in the classes. I’m the nerd. I’m the old lady raising her hand in class."

There are a lot of advantages to being an older student. Sure, there can also be anxieties involved, but when you return to school as an adult, you bring all your life experiences to the classroom, all the wisdom you've gathered on your journeys. The experience is so much richer because of the appreciation you have for the opportunity. While I was grateful for the chance to go to college as an 18-year-old, I know today that I didn't really understand the gift I was being given. Older students do. They not only understand it, they cherish it with a passion.

Kristie Stremel feels that passion. "Once I started taking classes and learning, I couldn’t stop. I just want to know more and more."

Are you passionate about learning? Share your story on the Continuing Education Message Boards.

For the non-traditional student:

• Should You Go Back to School?
• Fitting In At School
• Choosing the Right School