In 2016, Yvette Gadson was an analyst for a telecommunications company who was raising three kids in Charlotte, NC when a breast cancer scare rocked her world.
“It made me realize that I should start embracing life and do more things that bring me peace,” she says. “So, I booked a solo trip to Rome. I was scared to death, but I ended up having the time of my life. It transformed me.”
Although Gadson had a few issues with language barriers and got lost a couple of times on her trip, she found an independence that gave her confidence when she returned home to her family. In the next year, she took several solo trips — a day trip to New York or an overnight to explore a state she’d never seen before.
“Travel taught me what it means to prioritize myself,” Gadson says. It gave her time to reflect on her life, opened her mind to new ideas, and brought her home with a boost of energy for her family every time.
Knowledge is Power
One of these trips took her to Atlanta to hear Michelle Obama speak. Obama’s words about the power of knowledge and the way education molded her struck Gadson, who had always regretted that she hadn’t finished college.
“I took a break from Johnson C. Smith after my junior year,” she remembers. “That break turned into a 21-year break during which I got married, had three children, and started a career.”
When her oldest son decided to go to UNC Greensboro, she was impressed with its programs and reasonable tuition, so she decided to apply as well. Gadson was thrilled to learn that all of her previous credits from Johnson C. Smith transferred, and she only needed a few classes to earn her undergraduate degree in the Bachelor of Integrated Professional Studies (BPS) online program.
My Degree, My Way
Gadson thrived in her classes, which gave her skills she could apply to her job with Uniti (formerly Windstream) but also allowed her to consider career options that aligned with her passions. Although this 45-year-old may not have fit the mold of a typical college senior, she did represent a growing number of students who found a way to complete their degrees in UNCG’s online programs, while they worked and handled family obligations.
“The Liberal and Professional Studies Department has a variety of programs to choose from and allows students to finish a degree in an asynchronous environment,” says Sarah Dunning, head of the online BPS program. “We have many full-time working adults enrolled in our program who have said that flexibility is a key component to their degree completion.”
Capstone Inspiration
Dunning taught Gadson’s final class before graduation, which required students to complete a capstone project with real-world applications of the lessons from core classes in the BPS program. The assignment was to create a website for a business that helped people in some way. Dunning remembers virtual meetings with Gadson to discuss ideas for her project: “We were in COVID, so we had to be very creative with the implementation part of the assignment,” she says.
In her final class, Gadson realized how much her life had changed since she decided to prioritize herself: “I was happier. I was trying new things and enjoying life. I even returned to school to finish my degree. What if I could convince other women to prioritize themselves by planning and hosting trips where women gathered for self-care, reflection, and sisterhood?”
Dunning loved the idea. She encouraged Gadson to create the website and thought the COVID shutdown, while people were stuck at home and dreaming of travel, was the perfect time to use social media to make a name for herself. Hence, The Reminiscent Traveler was born.
“Yvette had this aspiration, so we worked on what she could do during that time,” says Dunning. “I love it when students choose projects they are passionate about. It makes them so engaged!”
An Entrepreneur Takes Flight
The Reminiscent Traveler’s first trip was in 2021, taking a group of four to San Francisco. Gadson planned theme nights, arranged a wine-therapy boat tour on the San Francisco Bay, scheduled a vineyard tour in Napa Valley, and made sure the group had time to reflect and support each other.
At first, Gadson was inviting family members and childhood friends she wanted to reconnect with, but her Facebook group expanded once she shared photos from her first few trips. To date, The Reminiscent Traveler has taken 16 trips to places like Maine, Hawaii, Charlotte, and Cabo San Lucas. The biggest groups have included 12-16 women enjoying activities as diverse as a luau, a gun-safety course at a firing range, and a pajama party.
Whether near or far, each excursion has Gadson’s signature self-care element — maybe a spa treatment or a reminder to get regular health screenings. She works hard to accommodate different budgets, spending hours scouring the internet for deals on flights and hotel reservations. Just last year, she established an LLC and began charging a trip fee to cover her planning time. For Gadson, though, the ultimate payoff is how much the women appreciate her trips.
“Next year, we’re planning to go to Greece, St. Augustine, Los Angeles, and St. Lucia,” she says. “Each trip brings new experiences, but the best part is the sisterhood we’re developing. We’re constantly checking on each other between getaways and praying for each other.”
Gadson still serves as a senior analyst with Uniti, but life for her has never been so fulfilling since she decided to finish her degree at UNCG.
“I never imagined that I would even be an entrepreneur. Granted, it’s my side hustle, but I never thought I would be doing something that I love so much,” Gadson says. “I owe it all to my BPS program.”
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications, unless otherwise specified.
