Baby Boomers in the Classroom

The 78 million Americans who were born between 1946 and 1964 are now between the ages of 61 and 43. Experts say these baby boomers are the most educated generation with a clear understanding that high levels of education help achieve a fulfilling career and lifestyle. And while some are remaining true to form and retiring, more and more baby boomers approaching retirement age are deviating. Instead of leaving the workplace to lounge around or travel, they are making like 18-year-olds and going back to college.

And just why are roughly 80,000 baby boomers currently taking classes? Experts believe they desire to remain connected to the workforce and make intellectual contributions as they near retirement age -- even if only for pure enjoyment. "[Baby] boomers are the 'workaholic generation' and define themselves by their work and their contribution to society," explains Chuck Underwood who's been studying generational dynamics for 20 years. As founder and president of The Generational Imperative (), a Cincinnati-based generational consulting firm, Underwood provides corporations with insight about generational influences on the American marketplace, workplace, and classroom. "Baby boomers have struggled in adulthood with marriage and parenting, but they’ve been brilliant in the workplace."

At age 56, Susan Winters Finch, chief financial officer of The Winters Group in San Jose, Calif., would be considered brilliant by many. And, although she was already a vice president of marketing when she enrolled in the MBA program she is currently pursuing at Regis University, Susan didn’t want to stop there. "My dream is to formalize my on-the-job business experiences with an MBA," explains the grandmother of two, with another on the way.

"I was in my early 40s when I started to work on my master's degree, and someone said to me ‘But you’re going to be 46 years old when you’re finished,’" Susan recalls. "My reply was that I would be 46 years old whether I earned a degree or not. The knowledge and growth from going back to school have made me a more valuable asset to my firm and my family."

To maximize her assets, Susan enrolled in the external MBA program at Regis with a focus in finance and accounting. While the classes only last eight weeks at a time, they are just as rigorous as regular MBA courses. "So far, so good," she says. "I have a 4.0 GPA."

Regardless of a baby boomer’s specific reason for returning to school, the underlying theme for many with such endeavors is a cultivation of knowledge. Baby boomers are starting to worry about preservation -- not only of their physical health, but their mental agility as well.

"Although many of them are financially secure, baby boomers -- in big numbers -- will not retire at traditional retirement age," explains Underwood. And those that do retire from corporate jobs will be eager to launch second careers, "often in socially-conscious professions to 'do it right,' such as teaching, nursing, and social work."

For Carol Orsborn, middle age struck and so did an awakening that she wasn't as satisfied or prepared for her future as she had hoped. "When I hit my mid-40s, I started becoming aware of longevity statistics for boomers at about the same moment I realized that I hadn't saved enough for retirement."

She wanted to tackle a new career, but vowed it would be one in which she had an immense interest. Two pursuits stuck out in her mind–ethics and the marginalization of women in business. "My concerns led me to a doctorate in religion from Vanderbilt University, where I was able to study both ethics and adult development theory," she explains.

Carol wanted to tell baby boomers and young people alike about her experiences so she wrote the book "Return From Exile," which documents her lifelong search for spiritual meaning and reconciliation through education.

She has since become a co-chair of FH Boom (www.theboomerblog.com), a practice group sponsored by the public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard that offers research, training, program assessments, creative strategy, and insider intelligence on marketing to baby boomers. "You could say I was shot from a cannon and haven't stopped since," she says.

Heather Turner, an advocate of continuing and completing education at any age, can't stop her scholastic pursuits either. "I saw many of my friends in their early 30s with no degrees losing jobs to others with them," she points out. "I needed my master's to stay competitive in the business world." While some think Heather is crazy for having gone to school on and off for the past 20 years (with school loans abounding), she feels she's making the right strides to secure a future for herself in the job market -- at any age -- along with a better quality of life for her family.

"I want to stay up to date on technology and maintain an edge in the management field of business," says the 36-year-old. "My husband having to serve an 18-month tour in Iraq, really made me look at my career. I needed to make sure I could provide for my family in a whole different way."

Although Heather is a successful operations manager who boasts how much she loves her job, she can’t help but fear for her future. "You never know what will happen in business … you need to be prepared," she says.

Being open to adjustments, and prepared for constant change is necessary for baby boomers going back to school, Heather adds. With technology and other classroom innovations like cyber learning, the landscape of education is different from 30 years ago. "It’s very hard working full time with a family and going to school,” says the online student. “Luckily, I adjusted well."

On the flipside, Heather points out another benefit of taking classes over the age of 40. "[Baby boomers] appreciate education more this time around because they are paying for it. You respect your professors more since many of them are the same age [as you]."

Heather isn't looking forward to retirement just yet. She’s just getting started. As she approaches the age of 40 armed with degrees and experience galore, the world, she says, is her oyster.

"Sometimes you just have to do things when you can because of life situations," Heather explains. "I would have loved to have finished college when I was younger, but due to financial situations I could not. Now, I have that chance and I’m taking it. No matter what age you decide to do something, you can do it!"