May 19, 2008
 Soon-to-be graduating History major Marc Adelman will be completing his degree after five years of study at Temple.
That might not sound so out of the ordinary — plenty of students have done the “five-year plan” as it’s sometimes referred to. It’s the 42-year long detour between years three and four where things get interesting for Adelman.
“I’m a 68-year-old, soon-to-be college graduate!” said Adelman with a laugh. “After 42 years, I’m actually counting the days to graduation — it’s mindboggling!”
Adelman began his long, strange trip at Temple in the early 1960’s where he pursued a degree in Social Work.
“It was a great institution to be at; there was so much going on. I got caught up in the social activism of the 60s, which is what drew me to social work,” said the Philadelphia native. “I did work in the field for about five years after I left Temple.”
In 1966, family responsibilities took him away from his studies “though I always assumed I’d complete my degree at some point.”
“I’m not one to make excuses in life — that has negative connotations and that doesn’t get you anywhere,” he said. “I make priorities in life. That way, my cup is always half full, never half empty.”
In the decades that followed life’s priorities — which included marriage and raising a family of three boys — took him all over the professional spectrum.
“I was up to a lot of things,” he said with a smile. “I took risks. I ran a 7-11, I had a commercial cleaning company; I did so many things over the years. I raised three boys and have four grandchildren and one morning two years ago, I literally woke up and asked my wife, Connie, ‘What would you think if I decided to go back to school?’”
Connie, his wife of 40 years this June, said “Absolutely!”
“If it wasn’t for her support, I wouldn’t be able to do this. I got up every morning with an open mind — over the years, I never stopped educating myself, but I always felt a little incomplete,” he said. “I wanted to set an example for my children and my grandchildren. I wanted them to see that life was not over at 68, that if there’s something you really want, you can still go out and get it.”
In 2006, Adelman returned to the classroom for the first time in 42 years. He chose Ambler, he said, for the intimate atmosphere and one-on-one attention. It “fit my lifestyle,” he said. He was also able to still use the bulk of his credits from his first “tour of duty” at Temple.
He just recently completed his 42nd credit since returning and is a Dean’s List recipient to boot.
“When I got the letter, I thought it was a bill! It never even entered my mind that I could be eligible for the Dean’s List,” he said. “When I started two years ago, I really didn’t know if I’d be able to take a test or take notes or if I could even sit in class. I didn’t know if I had the technical know-how — I had only started e-mailing and Googling just a little while before. One of my first instructors asked me if I knew what Blackboard was. I said ‘Sure, where’s the eraser?’”
In his first few days, his professors, fellow students, and advisors helped place him at ease with the full realization that he was right where he belonged.
“I was uneasy at first. With many of the other students, they’re 20 and I’m almost 70. They wondered what I was doing in their class,” he said. “In my third semester, and even toward the end of my second, there was a transition. They would come up to me and ask me advice, what I thought about a test — they would talk to me and me to them. It is a very healthy environment for those that want to be educated.”
With just days to go until he walks with the rest of his class clad in cap and gown with family cheering him along the entire way (he could probably fill a stadium all on his own with his supporters), Adelman views his return to the classroom as “awesome, to use the kids’ phrase!”
“It is mind blowing! I never realized how much I missed formal education,” he said. “I feel so fortunate to be back in an atmosphere where I can benefit from the wealth of knowledge of an outstanding group of professors and instructors who are willing to give you everything you need to be successful. The advisors, the supportive staff and administration, there’s such a comfort level here — it’s been a wonderful experience.”
After completing this 42-year journey, you might think Adelman has accomplished his educational goal. Adelman, however, has been clearly “bitten by the education bug.”
“Two years ago, I told my family and friends that what I intended to do was get my degree and possibly get a job in a history department or as a substitute teacher,” he said. “Graduate school was the furthest thing from my mind. But in my second year here, I really go turned on to research.”
No longer content with an undergraduate degree, he will be calling Temple his educational home for another few years as he pursues a graduate degree. He’ll start, he said, with a basic graduate course in History in the fall, followed by a course in “archival management” taught by Dr. Martin Levitt and plans to prepare for the GRE exam. His goal — to become a professional archivist.
“The journey’s certainly not over. To borrow a cliché, it’s never about the destination, it’s about the journey,” Adelman said. “Some people judge their lives by great achievements, which has merit. I judge my life by the many small moments.”
Adelman said his life has certainly been eventful “and it is by no means over.”
“I believe that I have a career ahead of me of 20 to 30 years in a new profession — and I’ll be good at it! I think I’m at the same level as any other student,” he said. “They have their lives ahead of them and so do I. I’m looking forward to it!”
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