42 S G M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8 “Last year there was about $82 million in federal contract money awarded in Thomas County,” Sheppard said. “And half a billion came into our six-county area.” Sheppard said the Center for Professional Learning is just one of the ways Thomas University is helping people learn new skills for job advancement or a career change. Thomas University serves a large number of non-traditional degree- seeking students (25 years and older), with an average age of 27 years for undergraduate and 36 years for graduate students. John Glenn, who has served on the Thomas University Board of Trustees for more than 25 years, said that helping adults fulfill their goal of a college education is an essential part of the university’s mission. “One of the main things we do is give people a second opportunity to get a college education,” Glenn said. “We have a significant student body made up of people who either didn’t go to college immediately out of high school or didn’t finish. We are giving the non-traditional students a chance for a college degree.” Glenn notes that Thomas University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program also provides a significant economic value to the region’s workforce. “Businesses have sent employees to Thomas University to get their MBA, and I think that provides added value to Thomasville,” Glenn said. “We are a regional institution in terms of our non-traditional students. Most people in the community would agree that the university has shown its worth.” Global Outreach Thomas University continues to attract students from across the region and state, with 68 percent from Georgia, 27 percent from out of state, and 5 percent from the university’s growing international program. In 2010, the Thomas China Program established dual-degree programs with three Chinese provincial universities to deliver the Bachelor of Science in registered nurse degree. In 2013, the Bachelor of Science in business administration was added. Students in both programs take courses at their respective university in China, with a combination of Thomas University faculty living in China and others assigned on a rotating basis. Through a partnership with Jimei University, their students are able 42 S G M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8 Thomas University President James Sheppard visits with students Fungai Mumba from Fort Mill, South Carolina; Joshua Barrett, from Tallahassee, Florida; and Samantha Gilbert, from Largo, Florida. PHOTO: PAT GALLAGHER