What About Me? How Dejah Smith Found Her Way Back to College

Contributed by: Katherine Neilan, Digital Content Producer & Storyteller

A working mom shares how she balances life, career, and college through Albertus Magnus College’s Accelerated Adult Undergraduate Program and why it is never too late to start.

There comes a point in adulthood when your identity shifts. You become “mom.” A trusty colleague. Even someone trying to fit in time for exercise, whether it’s gym sessions or yoga.

You carry so many roles that one question quietly lingers: what about me?

For adult student Dejah Smith ’28, that question was answered when she enrolled in the Accelerated Adult Undergraduate Program at Albertus Magnus College.

“There’s no age. I’ve seen people 20 years older than me still pursuing degrees. It doesn’t matter how old you are as long as you’re just following your heart and you’re doing what you want to do,” Smith said.

In her early 30s, she is a full-time professional at the Yale Child Study Center, a mother of two daughters, and a student.

“My path wasn’t really traditional,” Smith said. “After high school, I went straight into working.” She had her first daughter fairly young, which made college feel out of reach at the time.

Dejah grew up in Hamden, Connecticut, just minutes from Albertus. She passed the campus every day and always noticed it in the distance. It wasn’t until years later that she found herself as a student here.

The Accelerated Adult Undergraduate Program offered the flexibility she needed to balance work, family, and everything else. 

“I make sure every night I spend about three to four hours working on assignments and then I’m good to do it,” she said.

With two classes on her plate right now, Dejah has found a rhythm that works. She is present for her daughters, stays on top of her career, and still finds time for herself.

 “I just try to keep everything organized and stay on top of my assignments. It’s a lot, but it’s worth it,” she said.

When I asked her what this experience means for her daughters, her answer was simple and heartfelt.

“I love that they get to witness me actually going to school and that they’re here during this part of my life because it influences them,” Smith said. “My 10-year-old, she gets homework. She sees me sitting down, studying. It makes her want to get in the same mood and sit down and study and read.”

Dejah is pursuing a degree in psychology, a field she has long been passionate about. Her work at the Yale Child Study Center, helping families access assessment services, inspired her interest in understanding people and how minds work. She hopes to use her degree to continue advancing in her career and eventually pursue a master’s to become a clinical counselor.

“This education is really helping me get to where I want to be,” Smith said.