For me, as a 37-year-old nontraditional student, I can say that I absolutely use concepts and ideas I have gleaned from HDFS in my life. Of course, there are theoretical concepts that could probably be applied to various aspects of life, but I am talking more about the welcoming, considerate, interpersonal framework that underlies nearly every facet of coursework and group work in HDFS. This is not a dry major. This is a major of application. We do not merely discuss concepts like inclusion, diversity, self-care, child, adolescent, and adult development, to name a few, we apply them in classroom activities and our lives. I, personally, have utilized conflict management with my partner and my children. I have taken inclusionary concepts from courses and group work to introduce them to my younger children, so that they may have these concepts deeply rooted in their developing minds. I try to incorporate diversity in my family’s literature, media, and personal interactions to broaden their understanding of themselves, of others, and to stimulate the growth of respect that can serve them, and society, for the remainder of their lives. It’s not difficult to learn materials at a university, but, in HDFS, we go out of our way to live the concepts we learn in an effort to be better people for ourselves, our families, and society.

Ian is an HDFS senior with a concentration in family studies and aspires to work in social work or human resources for veteran affairs.