In August of 2020, Deion Sanders shocked many of his fans. It’s not because of anything that the former college football sensation and NFL Hall of Famer did on the football field. Always unpredictable, Sanders pulled one of his biggest juke moves by earning his bachelor’s degree from Talladega College’s FASTtrack program. He continues to embrace that opportunity. Recently, an article quoted Sanders as saying, “I wouldn’t be Coach Prime if it wasn’t for education.”
Sanders may be a rare breed in football, but he is far from rare as someone who earned his undergraduate degree later in life. Jobs for the Future notes that there are about 6.3 million adult learners in the United States according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s about one third of the total postsecondary student population.
Kevin Tyler, a higher education marketing consultant, sees a great opportunity in 2025 for programs that cater to adult learners. In an article for Volt, Tyler noted that there are about 40 million adults who make up the “‘some college and no degree’ audience.” To him, the key to success for programs like FASTtrack will be to collaborate with industry partners such as community colleges as well as other organizations that partner with institutions of higher learning.
On that August day, sporting his signature smile, Sanders echoed the sentiments of many an adult learner, “We’re delayed, but we weren’t denied.”
Quinsheta Powell ‘20 knows that feeling all too well. While she is known among the Talladega family as the College’s alumni relations coordinator, Powell is also a product of the FASTtrack program.
A ball of energy who also sports a winning smile, Powell’s journey began in 2018. She had founded an organization with the mission of empowering young girls to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams. “I began to reflect on my own journey and realized that by not completing the degree I had started years ago, I was not fully living out the message I was sharing with them,” says the psychology graduate. As a working mother, wife, and mentor, Powell says, FASTtrack’s flexibility was the ideal solution for her.
Like many, Powell began college after high school, but her journey was interrupted. Life happened. Eddie Francis, Talladega’s interim chief communications officer, gets it. He is also a college instructor who teaches many adult learners online. “Access, support and instructors who understand adult learners’ challenges tend to be keys to their success,” he says. “FASTtrack is the type of program that delivers.”
Powell saw those benefits. “The (FASTtrack) courses are rigorous, and there were moments when I questioned whether I could keep going. However, the unwavering support from the professors, faculty, and staff made all the difference—they were just as committed to my success as I was,” she says.
The enthusiasm that Sanders showed on graduation day mirrored a game day speech. But, in a heartfelt moment, addressing former president Dr. Billy C. Hawkins, Sanders remarked, “I thank you, because I don’t think you understand the ramifications of what just transpired with me. Not only did you make a way for me, but you made a way for so many other people.”
Powell is one for whom a way was made. “FASTtrack didn’t just help me earn a degree. It opened the door to a career I truly love as the alumni relations coordinator at Talladega College.”
