Students at a Chicago university can get credit for life experience but only a few get the chance

Odyssey Project Alum Mireille Uwase Adams was interviewed on WBEZ about the University Without Walls program at Northeastern Illinois University. Adams had a desire to continue her education. According to Adams,

"The Odyssey program was literally the gateway drug to my higher education addiction. It really kick-started my desire to continue learning, and everyone in the program was so supportive and made me believe I could go higher with my education."  

Through former Odyssey Project instructor Michael Fischer, Adams learned about the University Without Walls program at Northeastern Illinois University. "He connected me with contacts at NEIU and encouraged me to apply," said Adams. 

"I am so proud to finally have a college degree, and none of this would have happened without the Odyssey program."

Learn more about Mireille Uwase Adams and the University Without Walls program offered by Northeastern Illinois University in the article below.

Northeastern Illinois University allows working adults to showcase their skills and earn a degree but financial limitations blunt the impact.

Mireille Uwase Adams was just a few weeks into her college career at the University of Illinois Chicago when she found out she was not eligible for financial aid because of her refugee status.

Uwase Adams had fled Rwanda before the genocide took the lives of her mother and brother. She could not afford to pay for tuition out of pocket.

“I walked out of the financial aid office, and I never went back to class,” said Uwase Adams, who now lives in Humboldt Park.

That was more than two decades ago, but it’s been a drag on her life ever since.

After leaving school, Uwase Adams worked a string of odd jobs before landing a steady role in healthcare. But, despite taking on more responsibility, she could not get a raise or promotion.

“Because of my lack of education and just not having a diploma, I hit a plateau of how far I could go with the company and the things I was allowed to do and the rooms I was allowed to sit in,” said the 44-year-old. “I was like, ‘Well, I guess this is where I’m gonna be the rest of my life.’ ”

Uwase Adams is far from alone. Across the country, nearly 40 million adults have some college credit but no degree.