URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Thousands of students are getting ready to cross the stage and turn their tassels across the country. U of I students graduate on May 17, but a small group has already gotten a head start.

Nearly a dozen adults earning a lower income have been taking regular classes through the Odyssey Project this past school year. The group meets with U of I instructors twice a week to learn about history, philosophy, art, and literature.

“It can be very expensive and intimidating to join a traditional college program. We try to provide that transition space that is a small, really safe group of people,” Kate Spies, the program’s academic advisor, said.

One of those people is Nicolette Riffel, who’s been getting involved across Champaign-Urbana after experiencing homelessness and working with CU At Home.

“My life kind of turned into a roller coaster ride the last 10 years,” she described in February.

Now, she has a job, education and goals for the future. She plans to get her commercial driver’s license (CDL) soon, so that she can drive in the winter and farm in the summer.

Progress like that is one of the goals.

“I really enjoyed all of my courses. I did ace all my classes, naturally,” Riffel said with a smile.

Hearing stories like that makes advisors like Spies happy and motivated to keep going.

“It’s just a day of celebration,” Spies said. “It’s about everybody’s hard work, perseverance, and just the luck we all had in getting to this day.”

Next steps for many students include taking additional classes at the U of I, Parkland College or Eastern Illinois University.

If you’re interested in enrolling in Odyssey classes, registration for summer informational classes is open now.