"Pre-Med Student Working to Close the Gap Between the Traditional & Non-Traditional University World"

                                          

 “Seeing the need and filling the need” 30-year-old founder of the Non-Traditional Student Association (NTSA) Alysia McCray said.

I could tell she had a niche when it comes to connecting well with others. As I walked into her cute quant colonial style home, I knew this would be an interview that I would enjoy. Alysia is a wife, student and mother of two. She has the confidence and determination of a woman with a purpose. Currently working on her bachelor’s in Physiology and minors in Psychology and Biochemistry, she plans to attend medical school to pursue a career in neurological surgery and perform neurodegenerative disease research. But that’s not all she has set out to do. She wants to change the lives of her Duquesne University peers as well. 

The NTSA organization was created in 2022. It aims to provide a space for non-traditional students to be supported during their academic journey at Duquesne University. Alysia’s mission is to provide services that will support the needs of both the undergraduate and graduate/professional non-traditional student.

Dedicated to the personal advancement and achievement of her members, she strives to support each member by creating a community that will encourage success academically, emotionally, and socially.

Alysia currently resides in the Penn Hills Borough area. She drives 20 minutes into the city of Pittsburgh 4 out of 5 days per week to attend classes at Duquesne University. Alysia’s motto is to stay consistent and come up with new ways for her organization to be resourceful to all Duquesne University students, no matter their major or cultural background.

Born in Belleville PA Alysia was placed in the foster care system where she was adopted and raised by Mino nights due to the incarceration of her biological mother. At the age of five she moved to Pittsburgh where most of her family lived.

“It was a bit of a stark difference moving from the country life to the city life,” she said.

The lack of stability at such a young age has created a constant self-awareness throughout her life. Growing up the non-traditional way has been motivational to Alysia, and she resonates with her spirituality when it comes to being guided throughout life.

“I really didn’t have a role model growing up in life,” she said, “I felt like the best person to be and model myself after was Jesus Christ.”

During her grade school years, she moved to multiple states where she eventually settled in Pittsburgh. She graduated from Peabody High School in 2011 which has since changed into Obama Traditional Academy.

Alysia initially received a full scholarship to Penn State University where she studied for a year. Unknowledgeable of the fact that FASFA must be signed by at least one parent annually hindered the continuation of her schooling, as well as there being a lack of support from those she needed most.

“I reached out to my biological mother and father who both refused to sign my FASFA,” said Alysia, “So I just left.”

With no idea what she was interested in when it came to her career, Alysia overcame her academic hurdles.

“The time it took me to get to Duquesne University gave me some of the experiences that actually directed me towards where I want to be in life,” she said.

Starting her journey at Duquesne University was the next phase of life’s challenges to come for Alysia. Leaving her $50k a year job and deciding to go fulltime was a big decision for her. Needing a way to pay for tuition she obtained a personal loan to help pay for her freshman year.   

“The loan was super high interest,” she said, but I stepped out on faith knowing this was the correct way to go.”

Alysia has built relationships with a variety of her professors. Working through the stresses of being a wife, mother, and student, she shared her life stories and situations with mentors and professors at Duquesne University to help make her way through the college life.

It was within her own needs she realized she couldn’t be the only one. There had to be other students out there who have a lot going on in life and need support as well as peer to peer understandings, resulting in NTSA being born.

“To be able to give someone a resource you can’t make it segregated,” she said, “it must be inclusive, so I thought maybe if there is a safe space for these individuals they’ll come.”

Now with over 50 members and growing fast, NTSA has proven to be a fun safe space for traditional and non-traditional students.

“It’s essentially a melting pot of a group,” she said.

Alysia bases the resources she provides through NTSA off the needs of her peers. It wasn’t long before she quickly learned the many inconveniences that arise for some students interested in joining different student organizations. Majority just couldn’t fit the traditional meeting times into their schedules. You also have those students like Alysia who live off campus, making it hard for them to connect with other student groups in person who have similar interest or provide the help needed to them throughout their academic journey.

NTSA’s hybrid format allows traditional students to fellowship in person with pizza, games, and more during their meetings, while catering to their virtual audience giving those who live off campus the opportunity to engage as well.

“All of our meetings include either a learning aspect or selfcare aspect intertwined within it,” she said, “sometimes both.”

After a host of on campus events produced by NTSA, Alysia is now gearing up for her biggest event yet coming fall of 2023. The Duquesne Alumni & Student Speed Networking Event. Her mentor Martin Black, Duquesne University Director of Alumni Engagement, currently offers a platform called Dukes Connect. It essentially connects current students with Duquesne University Alumni’s virtually.

“I want to bring the Dukes Connect Platform to life,” she said, “make it a hands-on experience. Students will be given a presurvey that will ask things related to their future goals, what they are currently studying and what they are looking for in a career. From there we will match the students with Alumni’s who they would have the opportunity to benefit from the most”

Alysia is not going about things in the traditional way, she is being bold and has a few surprises up her sleeve.

I am looking forward to what NTSA’s future has in store.

“Seeing the need and filling the need, “is the foundation the Non-Traditional Student Association was built on.