Confidence Redefined: Sarah Jane Engle's Experience as an Adult Student in the Interior Design Program

Designing her dreams with a second chance at a degree and a new career

Sarah Jane Engle (interior design, ‘24) never imagined she would be graduating college in her 40s alongside her own children. But after going through a divorce and realizing she wanted a career change during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarah decided to finish her degree through Belmont's adult degree program.

“COVID happened, and although I had a job, I realized I just wanted something different,” she said. “I wanted to see what was out there. I got on Belmont’s website, and noticed interior design, and I applied and got in!”

Sarah had previously attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville right after high school but did not finish her degree in chemical engineering at the time. When she enrolled at Belmont to study interior design, almost all of her previous credits transferred. “Being able to use previous college credits along with the affordability of the program were a huge draw. Having in-person, hybrid, and asynchronous classes was also very beneficial with work and family responsibilities.”

One of the biggest benefits for Sarah was being integrated with the traditional undergraduate students in her program. "I loved that I was put in with everybody. And not just like night school or a weekend program."

Through the program, Sarah was able to have experiences she never got to have the first time she attended college, like studying abroad in Italy, Switzerland and France, which she described as an "unbelievable" and "humbling" experience. She was also awarded a prestigious scholarship to support a summer internship in New York City.

Balancing school with parenting four sons was certainly a challenge at times, but the personal payoff was huge. Her advice to other adult students considering going back to school: "Just try to take that step... It just seemed to be the place I needed to be. And I just ended up loving everyone that I've worked with, and all my professors and teachers, and it's a great program."

With her interior design degree now completed, Sarah feels immense gratitude and a sense of accomplishment, demonstrating that it's never too late to follow your dreams and reinvent yourself.

In the following Q&A, Sarah shares more about her experience at Belmont. (She also shared that in addition to celebrating her graduation alongside two of her sons this May, her oldest son and his partner were in the hospital expecting the arrival of their first child – her first grandchild.)

What aspect of going back to school gave you pause?

“I think just not knowing if I could handle the workload for one. And then I knew that most of the class would be students that were my own children's ages. So that just was a little intimidating.”

What drew you to interior design? What did you love about it?

“I've always had opinions about design. When I was in middle school and high school, I wanted to be an architect. I took geometry, and I didn't like it at all, so I thought, no, that's not for me. But, I've always just had ideas about design, but also having four kids, it's a lot of problem-solving. I feel like that's probably one of my strengths. I was always trying to arrange things in the house to make it seamless, to make things move smoothly.”

What was your goal with the degree?

“When I first started, I wasn't sure. I don't think I realized everything that interior design actually entails or what all you could do with that degree. And I was just really hoping that I would end up with a career or a job afterwards that I could support my kids and myself on. My immediate future plans are finding an internship in New York City with the scholarship I received from Belmont. After completing an internship, my goal is to return to Nashville and find a position in a firm that does commercial work. Designing hospitality spaces is my favorite, but I enjoy designing anything that inspires people coming together.”

What Maymester did you go on?

“It was a studio for interior design. We did Italy, Switzerland and France. It was a dream. Unbelievable. I feel grateful and just humbled. There are so many things I wanted to do when I was in college in my 20s or late teens and never got to do and I've been able to do all these now.”

I heard you’re not the only one who recently graduated?

“My youngest son graduated high school last weekend, and then I have another son graduating from college this coming Saturday at Savannah College of Art and Design.”

How do you feel now that you've graduated?

“It has definitely improved my confidence. Being able to not only just have a degree, and have that accomplished and finished, but, doing presentations in front of people – just all of it. The biggest change is confidence. There were a lot of times I thought, ‘I don't think I can finish this. This is not gonna work. This is just a little too much.’ But it worked.”