A second chance at education leads Sharon Solo to social work
April 28, 2026 - Brandon Drain
Sharon Solo started her collegiate journey 25 years ago at Grand Valley State University. And now, the 43-year-old mother of two will be graduating at the top of her class with a bachelor’s degree in social work.
Every educational pathway is different.
Some students start college with a well-thought, pre-packed game plan that’s executed with relative perfection over the course of eight semesters.
Others immediately find themselves in dark, tough-to-get-out places that either hinder or halt their linear educational progress altogether.
As the years go by, the mere thought of going back to school can be daunting for the latter.
But, “Unfinished business has a way of beckoning you,” said Sharon Solo, a 43-year-old graduating senior at MSU’s School of Social Work. “First in small, subtle ways, like pebbles to your window...then stones, then bricks...then it’s a frying pan to your head—and it haunts you until you respond,” she continued.
Twenty-five years ago, Solo attended Grand Valley State University (GVSU) to pursue a bachelor’s degree. And 25 years ago, that same pursuit came to a grinding halt.
During her time at GVSU, Solo suffered from a severe eating disorder which wreaked havoc on her mental and emotional wellbeing.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, I didn’t even know who I was,” she said. “I didn’t attend my classes; I didn’t even bother to drop them. I didn’t care because I couldn’t see a future for myself. I was stuck, lost and just incredibly unhealthy.”
Solo’s collegiate journey was put on hold, and another journey began: One that included physical healing, motherhood, divorce and self-discovery
Over the next two decades, Sharon’s life had gotten better. She became a mother of two, travelled the world, and volunteered—all of which brought her a sense of fulfillment, peace and happiness.
Still, something was still missing from her life.
“Recovering from my eating disorder was the fight of my life, but I found that achieving physical health did not mean I was healed,” she said. “I don’t think anything other than a corrective experience of education could have truly healed me.”
During her healing journey, Solo worked with social workers who helped her make sense of her past and present. Over time, that support helped her imagine a future of her own: one in social work.
“Choosing social work was easy,” she said. “This was a path that had been illuminated for me over time as I had grown to see myself as capable of helping others to untangle obstructions to their best lives.”
Unfortunately, Solo’s future was still tangled in her past.
When Solo was ready to return to school, she discovered her grades from GVSU were still holding her back.
“I couldn’t accept it,” she said. “These grades were 20 plus years old. They were earned by someone who was sick—who was hurting. I knew they were in no way indicative of my ability as a student now.”
Determined to move forward, Solo spent several months pursuing academic restoration from GVSU. Though the process, was difficult, it ultimately cleared her record and gave her, “the freedom to move forward with my life,” she said.
Solo was accepted into MSU’s School of Social Work where she would pursue a bachelor’s degree.
“I cried my first day on campus and I know I’ll cry on my last day, too,” she said.
During her time at MSU, Solo was not only a full-time student, but a full-time mom and a Student Success Coach for the Strategic Retention Unit, all while commuting from her home in Ann Arbor.
Solo also maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during her undergraduate tenure as well, making her one of the School of Social Work’s top graduating seniors for 2026.
Despite this, one of Solo’s biggest achievements while in college was her advocacy in “normalizing alternative educational experiences and creating more pathways back to school for non-traditional students.”
Once she learned that MSU didn’t have an academic restoration policy, “It became a pebble in my shoe,” she said.
With the support of her field and task supervisors at the Strategic Retention Unit, she pursued an invitation to present research along with her story to the Some College, No Degree (SCND) Steering Committee.
“There are so many obstacles to returning to school, and the thought that someone could be held back by grades that don’t represent them as a student just breaks my heart,” she said.
Solo’s advocacy and story inspired members of the committee to draft a policy proposal to introduce academic restoration.
“While this doesn’t guarantee that MSU will implement the policy, it meant the world to me just to try and crack that door open,” she said.
When graduating seniors walk across the stage at commencement, each step forward represents years—sometimes generations—worth of struggle, hardship, and a sense of duty.
For Solo, this walk is the culmination of two decades worth of struggle and sacrifice.
It represents what is possible for those who come from alternative educational backgrounds.
It illustrates that no matter how far a person falls, they can still get up and climb even higher.
And it illuminates Solo as a beacon of inspiration for anyone thinking of going back to school.
"Everyone at MSU has made me feel welcome and supported,” said Solo, “and I want to share that sense of belonging with anyone out there who wants to return to school. You belong on that college campus, period."