BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — Whether short a few credits or semesters, Ferris State University students are finishing what they started through a re-enrollment program, called ReUp.
Sam Stover was only 15 credits away from graduating at Ferris State University, when life hit hard.
“When I first came to Ferris, I was all bright-eyed, and I thought I was going to do so well," said Stover.
For Stover, what began as an exciting opportunity ahead, took a turn down a different path.
"Everybody hits a rough patch. That’s normal, and just, I hit mine a little rougher than some and it really took a toll on me mentally," explained Stover.
After failing some classes, Stover decided to take some time off.
Despite the setback, Stover pressed on, determined to return to school and finish his degree.
"I had actually decided to come back a couple of times. The first time I was with my best friend and we were going to do it together as moral support," said Sam.
While preparing to return to school, the unthinkable happened.
“She actually passed away before we could start," explained Stover.
At a time of incredible defeat, Sam found a light at the end of the tunnel.
“I heard about the ReUp program through Ferris. They kind of reached out to me actually and said ‘Hey, are you ready to start up again?' We have this for you to help you overcome some barriers," explained Stover.
ReUp is an initiative across the Michigan Association of State Universities designed to help students finish their degrees, regardless of where they're at in their journey.
"There were a few schools that had started relationships with ReUp, and they were seeing success in getting students to return and these were students who had just a short amount of hours or who had many hours," explained Ferris State University Vice President of Student Affairs, Jeanine Ward-Roof.
The program includes a support network designed to guide students along the way, including trained coaches prepared to connect those in the ReUp program with the correct university resources.
For students like Sam, the resources provided by the program made all the difference in his journey.
“I couldn’t figure out how to register for my classes again. I was worried about the commute. I work in a different city, and I didn’t know if I was going to have to come back up or if I could do all my classes online, financial aid, everything," said Stover.
Through ReUp, Sam enrolled in classes at Ferris State as a student majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies, where he was able to both pursue his degree and continue his career in social work.
According to Ferris State University officials, the program has been a success, boasting over 48 graduates.
Stover is officially one of those graduates, telling FOX 17 he was overcome with emotion walking across the graduation stage.
“Oh, I cried. I definitely cried. I cried when I looked up and saw my parents. Just the look of pride on their face because it's been such a long journey to be able to get here," expressed Stover.
According to Stover, he is now working full-time at a community mental health facility as a social worker and case manager.
“Stories like Sam’s that you know, he had a couple of extra things that he did to be able to get across that stage, and it means so much to him. That is exactly why we’re here. To get every student to have that fulfillment of the goals they have," reassured Ward-Roof.
Ferris State University officials confirmed there are 206 students enrolled in the program, with over 1,000 currently interested.
For more information on the program, you can find the link, here.
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