Crossing The Finish Line - A Second Chance At Success With The Islanders Finish Initiative

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – For some students, the path to a diploma feels more like an obstacle course — full of hurdles that can sideline even the most determined runners. But at TAMU-CC, a $600,000 boost from an anonymous donor is giving Islanders the power to rejoin the race, leap past challenges, and charge toward the finish line.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 40% of U.S. college students don’t finish their degrees within six years of enrolling in a four-year university. The grant-funded Islanders Finish Initiative is stepping in as a powerful student support system, helping them pick up the pace and sprint toward degree completion.

“We’ve had students that needed to make money to help support family, forcing them to stop out and work full-time,” said Julie Shuttlesworth ’19, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Enhancement in the Division of Enrollment Management, who oversees the initiative. “Others have faced academic challenges, struggling with a few particularly tough classes.”

While many universities have stop out programs, Shuttlesworth believes the Islanders Finish Initiative is unique. Launched campus-wide in summer 2024, the initiative targets students who stepped away from their studies within the past six to 24 months. Students re-enrolling through the initiative benefit from a streamlined process, including a waived application fee and a shorter re-admission application. To be considered for the program, a student must have earned at least 60 credit hours and be in good academic standing. As a first step in the process, Shuttlesworth and others on the team help re-enrolling students evaluate their degree plan, which may include a change of majors to better align with their goals.

“We’ve worked with students who are out of school, employed, and simply need a bachelor’s degree to advance,” Shuttlesworth said.

Previously, the university funded the initiative through funds provided by the Dean of Students’ office, limiting aid to students with a balance of $3,000 or less. Thanks to the new grant, which is split into $300,000 per year for two years, the university can assist students with higher balances who were not able to re-enroll or qualify for financial aid.

“We don’t want students to feel like they are in educational purgatory,” said Dr. Andrew Johnson, Associate Dean for Student Success.

It was Johnson who came up with the original “Finish” idea in 2023 as a pilot program for the College of Business.

“I was reviewing degree plans and noticed many students were leaving the university with just a few hours remaining,” Johnson said. “Recognizing that trend, I sought out data to better understand the scope of the issue, and I was truly surprised by what I found.”

The data revealed several reasons why students left the university, but a common theme emerged: life had simply gotten in the way and made attending classes difficult, if not impossible.

“A lot of these students started families and careers or moved away from the Coastal Bend,” Johnson said. “A key advantage is that we’ve added online components to many of our degree programs, and we’ve used this initiative as an opportunity to inform students that these options are available to better suit their needs.”

Under the pilot program, Johnson reached out to approximately 300 former business majors who had left the university with less than a semester remaining to finish their degrees. Of those 300, around 30 re-enrolled, with about 90% choosing to take online courses.

“There’s a lot of maturing that happens with the passage of time,” Johnson said. “When you step away from school for a couple of years, so close to the end with so many sacrifices already made, you begin to realize the true value of a degree.”

Sixteen of the pilot program’s students earned degrees, including Diego Tabera ’24. Tabera enrolled at TAMU-CC in 2016 and left in 2021, just six credits shy of his degree. Tabera got a job at H-E-B while attending classes and eventually found himself working too many hours to succeed in the classroom.

“I prioritized work when I should have prioritized school,” Tabera said. “I fell so far into a hole I didn’t see a way out. I didn’t see myself ever coming back. I didn’t see myself graduating.”

Returning to the Island University was the farthest thing from Tabera’s mind when he received what he called a “golden ticket” in January 2024 — an email from Johnson offering him a path back to school.

“Life doesn’t just hand out freebies, but when I got that email, I knew the school really cared,” Tabera said. “They wanted me to prosper.”

Not only did Tabera prosper — he succeeded. Tabera finished his remaining courses and graduated in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management.

“I have the degree that shows I finished school,” Tabera said. “It’ll take me as far as I want it to go. I now control my career path.”

Tabera was one of the first in what Johnson hopes are a long line of graduates who succeeded thanks to the second chance the initiative offers.

“This is our mission, to graduate students and prepare them for a successful life and career,” Johnson said. “We have an obligation to do all we can to ensure that our students are well-served.”

Megan Cuda ’26 is one of 47 students who has re-enrolled at TAMU-CC through the campus-wide Islanders Finish Initiative. Cuda first came to the Island University in fall 2023 as a non-traditional student restarting her education. After a semester on the Island, she transferred to another institution but soon realized that TAMU-CC was where she truly belonged. In her attempt to return, she encountered challenges in the transfer process but remained determined to continue her education as an Islander.

“It felt like one speed bump after another,” Cuda said. “But Julie Shuttlesworth stepped up and fixed everything. She’s an angel. She also helped me change my major from nursing to psychology.”

In addition to helping clear financial barriers for students, the grant has also funded a new full-time staffer who will focus on identifying and contacting eligible students, encouraging them to return and complete their degrees.

“This new position is a really big piece of the puzzle,” Shuttlesworth said. “Rather than waiting for students to say they’re interested, we can actively call these students and tell them we can help get them back on track.”

With campus-wide expansion, a dedicated team in the Division of Enrollment Management, and support from the anonymous donor, the Islanders Finish Initiative is picking up speed and is ready to help dozens more Islanders cross the finish line.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ISLANDERS FINISH INITIATIVE

Email: finish@tamucc.edu for details.