Returning to school has kept the 50-year-old competitive

Darrell Pope knew he had to change something. His industry was changing rapidly, and he saw the writing on the wall: “You better learn some new skills.” “I saw the economy changing. My background was mostly in brick-and-mortar stores, and I saw all the manufacturers moving overseas. I thought, ‘Oh, come on,’” said Pope, now a manager at Celestica, an electronics manufacturer.

Pope said he had a regional view of the world and knew he had to expand his worldview and learn the way business was done in other cultures. He knew that maintaining with the changing world environment was key to staying relevant and competitive at any age.

“I believe people get bored after they don’t go to school recurrently, they get complacent. Today’s world is continuously changing. You have to sustain with changes in technology and other people. The outlook is different now than it was 20 years ago. Since earning his high school diploma from Kaplan University, Pope, 50, says he feels energized by the recent skills he’s acquired and the access he’s had to understand recent technology, including working virtually and sharing information with partners around the world via the Internet.

While making the decision to return to school in 2009 was easy, the challenge, Pope says, was finding a way to balance full-time work, traveling, studying and having a family.

“My wife complained that each one I did was work and study. I worked 50 hours per week and went to school 20 hours. During that point, I learned quite a bit about time management. You can do whatever you would like [in] life, you only have to put in the time.” Fortunately, thanks to Kaplan’s virtual classes, he earned his master’s degree in science and management in only two years.

Many in today’s job market feel overlooked not only by younger employees but additionally by those that have taken the initiative to expand their education. Pope says he believes people don’t return to school due to the fear factor and the reluctance to let others know the way much they know; but his curriculum at Kaplan kept him motivated and on his toes.

“What I liked [about Kaplan] was that I was given a syllabus that said what the goals were, and you knew if you achieved them, you would be fine. That taught me that in any relationship, you have to have expectations, and if you achieve them, the results should be good.”

Encouraging others to return to school, Pope says, “Just do it. It’s challenging, but you learn so much about yourself. You learn how to become a lifelong learner.”