Educational Motivation: Finish Line Program Enables Former Adelphi Students to Return and Complete their Degrees

In 2023, a company acquired the private equity firm that had employed Natasha Butler for more than a decade. As an accounting and finance manager with proven experience, Butler was, nonetheless, nervous.

"I thought about how I have experience, but if I had to be job hunting, they're going to require that bachelor's degree," Butler recalls. "I thought, 'I'm going to need the diploma to back up my experience."

A Flexible Way to Complete a Degree

Although Butler received a promotion after the merger, she already had begun the process of finishing a degree she'd started at Adelphi years earlier. She actually walked at graduation in 2016, although she was one course shy of completing her studies. Now 45 and an empty nester, Butler reached out last summer to Marsha Bazelais, a senior academic support specialist at Adelphi who originally helped her enroll in 2012. Through that conversation, Butler learned about the school's Finish Line Program, which offers readmittance for former students who left college three or more years ago without finishing their degree.

"Because of the flexible scheduling options, supportive academic team and financial assistance we offer students such as Natasha, they are able to return and complete their degrees with ease," said Bazelais. "The Finish Line Program strives for every returning student to accomplish their goal of completing their degree."

Administered through the College of Professional and Continuing Studies (CPCS), Finish Line offers an affordable education, along with a flexible online class schedule that allows those in the workforce and/or juggling family responsibilities the option of attending asynchronous classes-at their convenience. It's one way CPCS is working to fulfill its mission of supporting nontraditional students.

"Returning to college isn't about starting over, it's about finishing what you began with the strength and perspective that only experience can bring," said Jennifer Lancaster, PhD, dean of CPCS. "Our students in the Finish Line Program prove every day that education doesn't have an expiration date-it just takes courage to take the next step."

In Butler's case, her degree completion the first time around was stifled by scheduling conflicts that prevented her from taking that remaining class: Business Communications. In Butler's return to Adelphi, Bazelais not only arranged for her to take the course but understood the constraints of her life and career. When it became clear that the coursework might not fit Butler's schedule, Bazelais arranged for her to do it as an independent study.

"Marsha is helpful in any capacity," Butler said. "She made the process so easy. It worked for me as a student who had a full-time job."

Another Student Learns It's Never Too Late to Finish What She Started

The journey of Stephanie Xanthus began even earlier. Approaching 50 and living in Mineola, New York, Xanthus works as a secretary for the director of arts at the Rockville Centre School District. She first enrolled at Adelphi in the early 2000s through what was then called the Adult Baccalaureate Learning Experience (ABLE), studying business management and pursuing human resources certification while working at the University.

Since she was an Adelphi employee, Xanthus received tuition reimbursement, but gave it up when she left to pursue other opportunities. She was less than 30 credits shy of graduation, but the combination of losing financial support and changing life circumstances led Xanthus to reluctantly pause her degree.

"I couldn't afford to pay my bills, never mind continue with school," she recalled.

Life further intervened when Xanthus became a single mother to daughter Grace. In the ensuing years, she often thought about finishing her degree but wondered if it was too late and whether it would even be worth it. But a recent unexpected bump in financial resources allowed Xanthus to pursue degree completion without taking on debt, and she was further motivated by her desire to set an example for Grace.

"I thought, 'It doesn't matter that I'm going to be 50,'" Xanthus said. "I wanted to finish it for me and show my daughter it's never too late."

Last year, Xanthus reached out to Adelphi's Francesca Romagno, an academic adviser at CPCS who guided her through the process of reenrollment through Finish Line. Romagno helped Xanthus set everything up, including tracking her progress, helping her secure a $1,000 Empowering Caretakers Scholarship, guiding her choice of electives and arranging tutoring as Xanthus brushed up on her dormant precalculus skills.

"Without [Finish Line], I don't think I would've completed my degree," said Xanthus, who also credits the support of her husband, mother and other family members. "They made the process seamless. It's been such a welcoming-back experience."

Romagno quickly became Xanthus' primary point of contact, making what could have been an overwhelming return to school feel manageable. Now, Xanthus is on track to graduate in December with a degree in business management and will walk in May with the Class of 2026.

"Stephanie is a great example of the students we hope to encourage to come back to Adelphi and complete their degree through our Finish Line Program," Romagno said. "When I first met her, she was determined to come back to complete her degree, but like many of our adult learners, she would juggle family and work responsibilities while taking her remaining credits. These courses offer flexibility for students with schedules like this since they are online and asynchronous. We are getting her to that finish line when she graduates in December, and I am so happy for her."

For Xanthus, completing her degree means she's now eligible to receive an annual bachelor's stipend from her employer, and her coursework also qualifies her to sit for the Human Resources Certificate exam, which offers increased job security and opportunities for growth. More importantly, she checks an item off her to-do list that comes with great pride.

"At my age, going back to school is something I wanted to do," Xanthus explains. "I'm getting so much more out of it because it was my decision."

Next Steps in the Educational Journey

While Xanthus' educational journey may be complete, Butler is now working with Bazelais to enroll in the Becker CPA Exam Review program at Adelphi for Spring 2026. The track will help her prepare for the test through specialized accounting and finance classes."This program is actually about making it to the finish line," Butler says. "I feel like I've succeeded in this long-term goal. I no longer have that anxiety that I'm missing one piece of the puzzle."