5 things that make Purdue Global a great starting point for your comeback
Kevin Kohn, who earned his BS in psychology in 2023, says his Purdue Global degree has been invaluable in his current work and in planning for the future. (Purdue University photo/Kelsey Lefever)
Recent grad Kevin Kohn explains why he recommends Purdue Global to working adults — and why he thinks you can be successful
Kevin Kohn (BS psychology ’23, Purdue Global) is no stranger to setbacks and knows what it’s like to live with regret. But Kohn says if he can conquer them, so can anyone.
As someone who has lived all his life with cerebral palsy and endured multiple surgeries — one of which eventually cost him the ability to walk — Kohn is full of charisma and sees roadblocks as challenges to overcome.
Shortly after he realized his wheelchair was going to become his way of life, a chance encounter with a basketball coach led him to the wheelchair basketball circuit. Years later, he briefly crossed paths with teenage phenom and fellow Purdue Global student Rose Hollermann, who would appear at four Paralympics Games and help Team USA win gold, silver and bronze medals.
Like Hollermann, Kohn’s anything-is-possible attitude has led him to another opportunity: Purdue Global.
As someone who was working full time and had some college credit, Kohn says earning his degree with Purdue Global was the perfect fit. Find out below why he knows you can do it, too.
- Purdue Global understands working adults. Hesitation to go back to school is common and understandable — most people feel they can’t invest the time. Kohn says Purdue Global’s programs were designed with this in mind.
“You don’t feel overwhelmed or overburdened. You get a lot of that personal time in between. It’s a much better scenario for those who have an active outside life but still want to get or finish that degree,” he says.
- You can get much-deserved credit. Purdue Global’s flexible transfer credit policy applies credits earned from outside institutions to as much as 75% of students’ undergraduate degrees. On average, undergraduate students fulfill nearly half their degree requirements with prior learning credits.
“All but a few of my prerequisites transferred over,” Kohn says. “Even a couple psychology courses came in, too. What started as a four-year course load for me turned into 2 1/2.”
And don’t forget: Purdue Global also offers course credit for life experience. Career, military and other nonclassroom learning may be eligible to earn credit toward a diploma.
- Education plans are customizable. With multiple start dates throughout the year and 10-week terms, students can start when they’re ready and take on the course load that’s manageable for them.
Kohn points out that the customized approach isn’t available at just any institution. “The pace of it is yours. You can set your own comfort zone, which helps you get to the finish line more smoothly,” he says. “A brick-and-mortar institution is going to have 12- to 15-credit terms.”
- The professors value student success. In the same way that the programs are built for working adults, Purdue Global professors know and understand the life stages their students are experiencing. Many of them have been adult students, too. And they’re known widely for caring about their students’ success during their Purdue Global journeys and beyond.
Kohn says, “The professors are some of the nicest, most understanding, empathetic teachers I’ve ever met. One professor I had, it was always positive energy. If something didn’t happen to go right on an assignment, she’d allow a redo. She’d see where a miscue was; she’d give points back for a particular area. So she was down to help you not only succeed, but succeed with the right understanding. And that was more than I’d ever had from an educational perspective.”
- You deserve it. Kohn says that although his degree in psychology has aided his career in sales, nothing compares to the sense of accomplishment and the confidence that comes from finally earning his bachelor’s.
“It was crazy because I was at a basketball tournament when that final grade came in; we’d just had this huge win,” he says. “I was like, ‘Hey, gang — I know we just won this game, but check out what I just made happen!’ I was more pumped about that than winning a tournament.”
In the end, Kohn wouldn’t trade his Purdue Global experience for anything. “My degree gives me new opportunities, leadership roles and beyond. I can see a bigger picture,” he says. “I can see the path forward.”
