By: Theresa Servin
At the University of the Incarnate Word, the student experience does not follow a single timeline. For many non-traditional students, college is not a direct path from high school — it is a return, a reinvention, and a rebuilding of identity shaped by responsibility, service, family, and resilience.
Their journeys look different, but they share a common truth: belonging is not about fitting in — it is about finding your place.
For Alexis LaFosse, returning to school was a long-held dream that once felt out of reach.
“I always wanted to go back for my master’s,” LaFosse said. “But life got complicated, and I wasn’t sure how I could fit it in.”
She credits faculty support for helping her feel grounded.
“The professors are amazing and take the time to set their students up for success,” she said.
Her message to others: “It is never too late.”
For Trisdon Fuentes and Briana Lopez, returning to school has been a shared journey. As husband and wife both attending UIW, their return reflects not just personal growth, but mutual support and shared purpose.
“I had already started my career,” Briana said. “It felt like I didn’t need school — until I realized I wanted more.”
“This was the exact time I was supposed to return to the nest,” she added.
Trisdon keeps his advice simple.
“Do it,” he said. “Time goes faster than you think. It flies by, and it’s increased my confidence because of everything I’m learning.”
For Federico Dominguez, returning to school came after a sudden and difficult transition. After 13.5 years in the United States Air Force, his career ended in medical retirement, forcing him into civilian life earlier than he had planned.
“I intended to serve until full retirement,” Dominguez said. “Instead, I had to start my post-military life years earlier than expected.”
Following the loss of his older brother, Dominguez turned to education to rebuild his life and move forward. He carries a memorial photo of his brother with him on campus — a quiet reminder of the family and support that continue to shape his journey.
“It feels like my brother is going to college with me,” he said. “so, I’m not alone.”
As a non-traditional student myself, I know all too well how unfamiliar and overwhelming the beginning of this journey can feel. Stepping onto campus, navigating technology, and trying to find your place in an environment that feels completely new can be intimidating and, at times, frightening. After waiting 30 years to start college, I understood that fear deeply — the fear of not belonging, of being behind, of not knowing where you fit.
But I’ve also learned that belonging doesn’t come from trying to fit into someone else’s timeline or experience. It grows through connection, service, and the courage to keep showing up. Over time, uncertainty turns into confidence, and unfamiliar spaces begin to feel like home.
Non-traditional students at UIW are not defined by age, but by resilience, purpose, and the courage to begin again. Their stories show that education is not bound by tradition, but by readiness and transformation. Though their paths may be different, their place is shared — in the nest.
(Trisdon Fuentes, Briana Lopez, Alexis LaFosse)
