MSU-B grad immersed self in school after lengthy hiatus
Student's drive pays off with senior award, education degree
By MARY PICKETT Of The Gazette Staff
Life experiences can give nontraditional students an edge in the classroom.
Nadene Falagan, who returned to college in her late 40s, was in a class at Montana State University-Billings when the approach of Martin Luther King Jr. Day started a discussion about segregation and busing.
Some students, born long after the civil rights movement, were unfamiliar with busing. Falagan could explain it in great detail because she drove a school bus during desegregation in Boston in the 1970s.
When other bus drivers refused to drive black school children from Roxbury and Jamaica Plain to white districts, she volunteered because she had grown up in those neighborhoods. During some of those trips, protesters threw rocks at her bus.
"If I knew there would be people throwing rocks at a certain corner, I'd try to drive away from it or have the students sit on the other side of the bus," she said.
Falagan, 52, has taken a safer, but much longer, journey through college.
She officially graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in elementary education in December, but she will walk across the stage at MetraPark Arena on Saturday to receive her degree.
She also will be honored as one of four outstanding seniors at MSU-Billings. Jenny Langford, of Reed Point; Paula Hawkey, of Stanford; and Jacquelyn Weitz, of Billings, are the other three.
The oldest of 10 children, Falagan is the only one of her siblings to have graduated from college.
When she graduated from high school, her family didn't have the money for her to go to college. After going to work full time, she did complete a semester at Boston State College and another semester at the University of Massachusetts before dropping out when money became scarce.
In 1993, she moved to Red Lodge and now lives in Roberts. She had a home- and office-cleaning business and worked part time as an administrative assistant for four churches.
She had saved enough money to take a dream trip to Indonesia when her boyfriend suggested that she go to school because she'd always talked about wanting to teach.
To see whether she could handle school after being out for several years, she took two classes -- Statistics and Introduction to Psychology -- to get her feet wet.
"I aced both of them and thought, 'I can do this,' " she said.
Falagan began college full time in 2003, completing 111 credits in 2½ years, going to school year-round to do it.
One summer session when she took 23 credits in 10 weeks, she rented a room in Billings so she wouldn't have to waste time commuting.
"I ate, drank and slept school," she said.
It may take a dedicated student to fully recognize dedication in others.
"I've been lucky," she said. "Once I took the first step, there seems to be someone to give me a hand to the next step. Every instructor went out of their way to help me."
Faculty and staff of MSU-B's College of Education were particularly helpful. As a student, Falagan received so much practical experience in a classroom that she has no qualms about taking over a classroom as a teacher.
Falagan also spent many hours outside the classroom serving on campus committees and councils, said Susan Gregory, associate professor of special education, counseling, reading and early childhood.
Gregory wrote a letter nominating Falagan for the outstanding-student award.
Falagan demonstrates the qualities the campus is looking for when doling out awards -- "people who go above and beyond what is required in the classroom and show a commitment to service," Gregory said.
Among her many activities, Falagan was vice president of Student Council for Exceptional Children. She was a puppeteer who used "Kids on the Block" puppets to teach students about children with disabilities.
Since completing classes in December, she has substituted in area schools. She is interviewing for teaching jobs and hopes to teach in Billings or Carbon County.
And Falagan was able to take her long-awaited trip to Asia, traveling to the Philippines and Singapore in December and January.
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Rocky Alum
wrote on
May 04, 2006 6:28 AM Way to go, Nadene! I also took a few years off before going back and getting my degree. To anyone thinking it's too late to get your degree, here's yet another example. It's hard, but you can do it.
Tammy
wrote on
May 04, 2006 8:42 AM Way to go Nadene!! Our communities children will be lucky to have you as their teacher. What an inspiration for other people to go back to school.
Grandma
wrote on
May 04, 2006 9:25 AM Congrats to you Nadene!! I am another who was the fourth child of nine. There was no money left for me to go to college. Tewnty years later when I was left to raise two children, I had to work full time and go to school. I did it in 2 1/2 years. It was scary but so much fun. I was on the honor roll for all semesters except one. My child was in the hospital for awhile and I missed some of my classes. When I went through graduation I was so proud. Again, thank you to the Gazette for this story. Nadine, enjoy your moment of honor and pride. You really deserve it. Congrats.
Blackfeet Woman 23
wrote on
May 04, 2006 10:54 AM I needed to hear this, as I'm contemplating going back to college. I'm glad I was able to hear of your life story. It really encouraged me. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations! It's wonderful to read about your success!
Karen/Moos
wrote on
May 04, 2006 5:53 PM Congratulations Nadene! I know YOU! So happy that you're realizing some of your dreams. You're an inspiration to us all, lady.
RS
wrote on
May 04, 2006 8:32 PM I remember forced bussing very well. All I can say is the experiment was a dismal failure in my case. Where I had been reading and writing well above the level expected for my grade, the forced bussing actually had me working out of school books two to three years behind what was expected for my grade. In a nutshell, 1971 - 1974 in San Francisco Unified School District was the worst thing that can happen to a child's education. It wasn't until I attended and graduated college that I realized just how badly the school system really was.
bonnie
wrote on
May 05, 2006 6:59 AM Congratulations! Best of luck on your next chapter.
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Montana State University-Billings graduation will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in MetraPark Arena.
Historian Stephanie Ambrose Tubbs of Helena will be the commencement speaker.
The convocations for each of the universities five colleges will be Friday at different times and locations.
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