Give It a Try

Jeff Smith took his first class at the University of Minnesota in 1966 after graduating from Central High School in St. Paul. He was originally a journalism major, but after a few courses discovered that it was not the right fit for him. A political science professor sparked Jeff's interest, leading him to switch to the political science major.

He unfortunately became ill during his sophomore year, leading him to drop out and not receive the necessary credits that year. When he was able to return, Jeff's student standing had been reclassified.

Nonetheless, Jeff worked through this well enough until he accidentally wrote down the wrong time for his journalistic law class final and ended with an incomplete. The incomplete had to be made up within the first six weeks of the next quarter, but the professor could not get him a space to make up the final for the first four weeks. This caused Jeff significant stress, resulting in another incomplete.

Jeff then took his major paper class. The professor told the students that it would be his final term at the university, so he would fail students rather than give incompletes. Jeff made sure to complete all the work for the class. However, when he received his transcript that summer, he had an incomplete for the course. After unsuccessfully trying to resolve it with the department, he lost interest and left the university.

A Different Direction

Along with a friend, who was a fellow member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, Jeff went to travel around Europe on a shoestring budget. His friend had connections with Ford Motors, and they were able to get jobs working there.

Jeff came back home after a year abroad and continued working. With his experience at Ford, he was hired to inspect large welded structures. He learned a lot about welding, non-destructive testing, and all sorts of other quality-related jobs.

In the early 1980s, however, Jeff was laid off and went back to school. The professor for his major paper class happened to also return to the university at that same time.

Jeff discovered the professor had not given him an incomplete after all; it took them three months to get the grade corrected on Jeff's transcript. In that time, Jeff was able to make up a couple of his other incompletes, but ultimately decided to leave the university again. He was able to get another job, this time inspecting incoming material for a manufacturing plant, where he remained for thirty years before retiring in 2021.

Giving It Another Try

About a year ago, Jeff decided to try once more. Advisors told Jeff that he only needed one more political science class to receive his degree along with a history minor.

Josie Kahlenbeck, the political science Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising, offered some pointers and helped him register for his final class: Professor Paul Goren's Public Opinion and Voting Behavior.

It felt really good for Jeff to get back in the classroom and feel confident about what was being discussed. It was the first time he was ever able to complete all the readings for a class, often leading to him kicking-off the class discussion with Professor Goren. In some cases, he was also able to provide a historical perspective for the other students who were only familiar with this era of politics.

Returning to finish his degree was largely simple for Jeff. He utilized support from the university's technology services, as well as his sons and their families, to submit work on Canvas. Professor Goren and his teaching assistant, Brianna Kreft, were very helpful and supportive, as well.

The person who supported Jeff the most during his final semester was his wife — his rock and cheerleader — Joyce. She was the one to encourage him to start this journey and always made sure Jeff had quiet time for studying. Joyce always wanted to hear about what he was learning, and helped Jeff remember to believe in himself when he worried about how he did on an assignment.

Nearly sixty years since he began this journey, Jeff felt he owed this to his father, who was the person he respected most in the world. He encouraged Jeff to be himself and make his own decisions, including going to Europe. His father had always wanted him to finish his degree, so with the time to do it, Jeff decided to see what it would take.

For Jeff, coming to finish his degree was a great experience. To anyone wondering if they should return to school, he says "give it a try — it's very rewarding."