Trinity

Older students find life-changing triumphs through School of Professional Studies

Veronica Brunnel poses for a photo on the campus of Trinity Washington University
Washington resident Veronica Brunnel poses for a photo on the campus of Trinity Washington University May 19, 2022, the day of her graduation ceremony from the Catholic college. Brunnel had completed her long sought-after bachelor’s degree program at Trinity in December 2021. (Trinity Times photo/courtesy Veronica Brunnel)

By Janet Platt and Angela Young
Trinity Times Correspondents

Veronica Brunnel walked through the campus of Trinity Washington University on a cold February evening, looked at her surroundings, and the expression on her face bared an air of accomplishment.

The 2021 graduate of Trinity had just left a graduate class across the street at The Catholic University of America.

Brunnel was ready to discuss her prolonged journey in earning her bachelor’s degree in human relations in her 40s and her gratitude for the opportunity the School of Professional Studies offered her to fulfill that aspiration.

It was a dream she wasn’t sure would come true, given the challenges she faced early in life.

Brunnel grew up in a rough section of Washington where drugs and violence were pervasive. While attending college in Florida, Brunnel became pregnant, so she returned home to Washington and completed the city’s Welfare-to-Work Program.

Brunnel’s dream of a college education seemed out of reach until she explored Trinity’s School of Professional Studies with programs designed to allow working adults to pursue higher education.

“I was rough around the edges and didn’t have the basic academic and life skills,” Brunnel said when recalling her fear upon entering Trinity’s SPS program, with classes mostly held in the evening to accommodate working adults. “But attending Trinity advanced those skills.”

It also elevated her confidence as she earned advancement in her job, graduated from Trinity after six years of part-time attendance, and began her master’s degree program at CUA.

During a February interview with the Trinity Times Brunnel recalled a moment in her life when someone told her “You curse because you have a limited vocabulary.”

That comment stung, but it forced her to examine her life and figure out what was limiting her.

With a smiling face of confidence, Brunnel proclaimed “not anymore. I can now have a more in-depth conversation that does not include profanity. Educational growth has changed me”. 

Trinity’s tuition is among the lowest compared to other private colleges and universities in the Washington area.

The Catholic university’s financial aid staff diligently works with economically strapped students to find resources to fund their education.

Thomas Mostowy, dean of Professional and Graduate Studies
Thomas Mostowy, dean of Professional and Graduate Studies at Trinity Washington University, is seen in his Washington campus office March 2, 2023. (Trinity Times photo/Chaz Muth)

Trinity students in the SPS program typically take three courses in the fall, three in the spring, and two in the summer, said Tom Mostowy, dean of the School of Professional Studies.

Flexible evening and weekend classes, accelerated semesters, and eight-week term classes enabled Brunnel to maximize the time she spent in class and balance her work and family obligations.

Many of the students enrolled in the SPS program said the Trinity campus is easily accessible by Washington’s vast public transportation system and the university’s satellite location at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) in Southeast Washington is close to communities and employers in Maryland.

Alba Ruiz, a 2022 Trinity graduate, said the convenience, financial aid, and one-on-one attention from the professors affirmed her choice in higher education.

Ruiz’s family immigrated from El Salvador in 2000.

Her aspirations of a college education were put on hold while she saved enough money to enroll in Trinity’s SPS program.

Through sheer determination and support from the faculty, Ruiz eventually became the third member of her family to attend college and graduate.

“Adult students come here with a goal in mind; ‘this is what I want to do with my life,'” Mostowy told the Trinity Times during February interview. “‘I want this to advance my career or change it.'”

Mostowy personifies the image of a college professor and dean, with a tuft of thick white hair, sporting a dark blue fleece vest and large reading glasses, sitting in a vintage office with mounds of papers stacked around him.

He talked about the differences between the traditional younger college students entering university to find themselves and the adult students who enroll later in life and already have jobs and a family.

The drive is noticeably different among many of the older students, who tend to be eager participants in class, demonstrate a significant hunger for learning, and the push for completion appears to be more urgent, Mostowy said.

Both Brunnel and Ruiz said they had a renewed sense of dignity after graduating from Trinity.

“It’s a journey, but it’s rewarding,” Brunnel said. “You have to encourage yourself. You will have cheerleaders, but you will have to prepare yourself to be your (own) cheerleader to grow in your journey.”

Beyond grit, determination, hard work and support, she discovered that she had to develop solid time management skills to earn that degree.

“Without it, you will be all over the place,” Brunnel said. “In addition, you also have to prepare to advocate for yourself and realize this is what you want to grow. It’s not just a degree. It’s an accomplishment, a goal, and you will continue to grow with that goal.” 

One of Brunnel’s biggest cheerleaders during her coursework at Trinity was her daughter, who graduated from high school the same month her mother earned her bachelor’s degree.

“My daughter is now a student at Trinity, a forensic science major,” Brunnel said with an expression that exposed her pride, adding that she’s thrilled the university has become a family tradition.

4 Comments

  1. I love this article to include that Ms. Veronica Brunnel is my friend. We both graduated from Trinity. So proud of her accomplishments.

  2. I have had the pleasure of being Veronica’s Practice Mgr at Capital Women’s Care for the past 16 yrs . She is a dedicated excellent employee. We are so proud of her accomplishments . Veronica is an asset to our company and her coworkers can always count on her for assistance.

  3. Good job Ms.Young and Ms.Platt! This was a great read!
    This article highlighted some amazing benefits that the School of Professional Studies offers adult learners.

  4. Pingback: Voices of Trinity: Class of 2023 Success! - President's Office