Andrea Richie ’20: A Non-traditional Journey to TU and Beyond

“My life changed. And I knew I would need an updated degree. Scholarships took some of the financial stress off—so I could be a better student and a better parent.”

Andrea Richie graduated more than 20 years ago with a degree in economics and a minor in French. But a life change meant she was looking at a new chapter in life. Her journey to a second degree began at Harford Community College and continued at Towson University in Fall 2018 as an accounting major. It was tough going to school full time and maintaining a 3.76 GPA,” Andrea says. “I balanced two part time jobs while caring for my children and going to school.”

Inspired by Dr. Steven Isberg, professor and chair of accounting department at TU, Andrea was the first student he met in 2019 after joining TU. He worked with Andrea on an Independent Study so she could graduate on time and met with her every other week. “I don’t allow just anyone to take an Independent Study”, says Isberg. “But Andrea had a degree of seriousness and went deep into learning. She was wise to know what she could and couldn’t do. She managed expectations for herself.”

Scholarships played a significant part in making Andrea’s journey possible at TU. Now an analyst in personal property tax compliance in Hunt Valley, MD, Andrea was the first virtual hire for her company and currently works from home. 

Scholarships that supported Andrea’s second degree in accounting possible:

Christopher Scott Stark Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Tignanelli Family Endowed Fund
Mary Fyffe Chiswell Class of 1922 Scholarship
Department of Accounting Scholarship