Cynthia Campbell, Class of 2012

When I was going through DE (Fall of 2012) I was the VP of Financial Empowerment at Tinker Federal Credit Union in OKC. I was also going through a Masters of Adult Education at the University of Central Oklahoma and had interest in the concept of transformational learning.

After completing the DE program, I realized that the program was a perfect example of transformational learning in the adult learner. I wrote an academic paper about it and it was published with several other essays in a book called, "Essays on Transformational Learning" (ISBN 9781481288947).

Abstract: This paper highlights the Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) training program offered by the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) and shows that it is a transformational learning experience aligned with andragogical principles. The CUDE program honors the  assumptions about the adult learner made by Eduard Lindeman, who laid the foundation for adult learning theory (andragogy), while moving the learner through the transformational phases  described by Dr. Mezirow, the founder of the transformational learning theory. The author of this paper is a CUDE program graduate who links the program’s educational priorities to the highly  respected academic tenants of andragogy and transformational learning. 

I am not sure my program "improved people's lives" but I hope that if CU executives read it, they will see the value in the CUDE program and encourage their staff to attend. I know once the staff get to attend their lives will be changed for the better and from them more good will flow.