Before returning to college at age 51, Leslie Wright had spent years immersed in her children’s school community. After stepping away from an earlier career to raise her four children, she became deeply involved in her local schools, first as a volunteer, then as a Parent-Teacher Organization leader. After encouragement from community members, she eventually ran for and landed a seat on her school district’s Board of Education.
Now in her fifth year on the Board, Leslie says the experience reshaped her understanding of education systems and revealed a growing need she couldn’t ignore: the rising mental health challenges facing students and staff.
“Being involved in my community helps me see the bigger picture — and UW–Madison is its own community that lifts people up,” she said. “When we pool together, that’s when we can do the most to help.”
Leslie transferred to UW–Madison in January 2025 after earning an associate degree (her second) from Madison College. Balancing full‑time coursework as a student in the Department of Psychology, parenting, part‑time work and school board service wasn’t easy, but she has maintained a minimum GPA of 3.7 and earned the Letters & Science Great People Award in 2025.
She credits her success to a strong support system: her husband and kids, her advisors and the campus offices that helped her navigate financial aid and academic planning. A flexible paid internship with Achieving Collaborative Treatment (ACT) gave her hands‑on experience in Applied Behavior Analysis therapy and helped clarify her long‑term goals.
“The only way I could really know which direction I wanted to take was to be in the field,” she said. “ACT was fabulous about working around my school and family schedule.”
Next, Leslie hopes to earn her master’s degree and begin working as a Licensed Professional Counselor‑in‑Training, working directly with adolescents and families.
Her advice to other adults considering college: “It’s never too late. Having a support system and a clear goal makes all the difference.”
Later this month, Leslie will be one of two to receive the Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. For more than four decades, the award has recognized UW–Madison undergraduates who return to complete their degrees while balancing work, family and community commitments.
Now in its 45th year, the Celebration of Outstanding Adult Students will take place on April 30 to recognize these award recipients, as well as adult student scholarship winners and Badger Ready program students and graduates.
This article has been adapted from the original available here in its entirety.