The 32-Year College Plan
A Journey of a Lifelong Learner
By Jordan Wren
D
iane D. McCarthy hit a
major milestone in her
self-proclaimed “32-year
college plan” by graduating
with her Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration with a
concentration in Organizational
Management from Gwynedd
Mercy University in 2016.
This milestone earned Diane
the accolade of being the first
person in her family, including
her own children, to graduate
college.
Diane is a mother of two adult children,
son Calvin and daughter Alison. For
anyone else, balancing work, college,
and family may have proven too difficult,
but that was not the case for Diane. One
particular weekend during her time as
an undergraduate, she recalls having an
accounting exam on Friday, marrying her
husband Paul on Saturday, and driving
her son to college on Sunday. What could
have been a nightmare scenario for some
has turned into a fond memory for Diane,
showcasing why she received the 2016
Alumni Award for Outstanding School
of Graduate and Professional Studies
(GPS) Student.
Diane had worked for nearly a decade
at Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG), an
Italian-based private helicopter MRO
company. Her time there came to an
end when she realized upward mobility
across the workplace had become
completely stagnant. For Diane, that
was the sign to make her move. So, after
a long, on-again-off-again relationship
with college, Diane committed herself
to earning her degree and furthering her
career.
She enrolled in online classes at
Montgomery County Community
College (MCCC) and completed her
associate degree at MCCC in 2014. Upon
graduation, Diane decided she wanted to
experience the on-campus atmosphere.
She sought out schools that were local,
with a strong moral base, and was drawn
to GMercyU immediately.
Once she enrolled at GMercyU, Diane
promptly became involved in activities
both inside and outside the classroom.
In 2015, she joined Sigma Phi Sigma,
GMercyU’s chapter of the National
Mercy Honor Society.
Alongside Sigma Phi Sigma, Diane
was also heavily involved in service and
volunteering. One of the projects Diane
was a part of was planning baby showers
for expectant mothers through Catholic
Social Services.
“One of these baby showers happened
to also fall on the morning after Honors
Convocation. I told them, ‘I’ll do the
food’,” Diane said. “And I did. With the
help of my sister, we fed the entire baby
shower!”
Diane also volunteered with the
Medical Missions Sisters Thrift Shop,
Associated Services for the Blind, and
the Montgomery County Youth Aid
Panel. Her dedication to GMercyU has
continued since graduating. She’s an
active member of GMercyU’s Alumni
Association and serves on the Alumni
Board.
Diane is now a Contract Administrator
at Southeastern Pennsylvania
Transportation Authority (better known
as SEPTA), where she helps proposed
projects undertaken by the prominent
transportation company come to fruition.
She’s excited to use what she has
learned both in the private sector and
at GMercyU in a public setting and is
optimistic about her evolving career at
SEPTA.
As far as education goes, Diane has no
plans to slow down. She will continue
to be the epitome of a lifelong learner,
balancing work, graduate school, family,
and service as she pursues her MBA
in Transportation Leadership from
GMercyU.
TODAY
15