June 20—TRAVERSE CITY — Five years ago, Sarah Frankham came to a point in her life where she needed a change.
So Frankham, who is from England, flew across the Atlantic to the United States to move to Traverse City and attend Ferris State University.
This spring, Frankham, 41, completed her bachelor’s degree in social work. This fall she will continue her master’s degree there.
Frankham admits that her understanding of the US was quite limited before she came here.
“Embarrassingly, my view of the United States came from the ‘Home Alone’ movies, which is all I knew about the US,” she said. “I always told myself I would go there one day and now I’m here, and it’s nothing like New York City. I like it here in Traverse City… It’s quieter.”
But being a non-traditional student, Frankham wondered if she could make the transition.
“I left my family and everything I know… I thought, ‘Can I do this on my own? Can I even learn to be a student?’ But I knew I had to persevere through it,” she said.
In England, Frankham worked as a mystery shopper, visiting various shops and restaurants and reporting on her experiences as a ‘customer’. As the 2010s drew to a close, she wondered if it was time to pursue new ambitions.
“I’ve always worked in healthcare, that comes from my mother,” Frankham said. ‘Life has taken me in different directions. But I realized that you can have not only the heart for a job, but also the brains. I felt it was time to get the necessary qualifications.”
Much of Frankham’s work was completed online, with the help of the FSU hub. The hub opened last fall and is located in the Northwestern Michigan College University Center on Dendrinos Drive.
The hub is intended to “serve working adults looking to complete their degrees, traditional students looking to connect to the main campus or take classes online, and to provide seamless transfer options for area students through partnerships with regional community colleges,” said a press statement.
It offers non-bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business administration, business administration-aviation, business administration-professional track, computer information systems, computer information technology, criminal justice, early childhood education, and social work.
“We know that our students have diverse needs and are at different stages of their lives,” said FSU President Dr. Bill Pink.
As for the giant center concept, “We’ll meet them where they are,” Pink said.
Frankham thanked Joanie Hazelton, associate professor and FSU MSW/BSW director for the Northern Region. “She was personable and relatable. She didn’t just throw textbooks at us. Even in grading, it was clear what you needed to work on so you could improve. It wasn’t just about the grade, it was about making sure you understood everything. And… she loves dogs.’
Hazelton said FSU has been committed to serving northern Michigan since the 1990s, especially in the field of social work, and that employment opportunities in social work have increased in recent years.
“It’s a good time to get into social work,” she said. “Since COVID, we have seen an increased focus on mental health and wellbeing.”
Although Frankham has completed all the requirements to earn her bachelor’s degree in social work, she said the achievement is about who she is as a person, not the title or degree itself.
“Even though I got this BSW, I’m still Sarah Frankham. My heart is the same for people; that’s all that matters. I don’t care about the label… I care about the education.
“Now I can get the job, but I’m still the same person.”
Her advice to other non-traditional students is simple: “Ask more questions. If you’re nervous… just do it and jump right in. If you don’t know something, don’t be afraid to ask someone. ” .”
