Education on a road to recovery

Robby McClain, a senior Interdisciplinary Studies major (Bachelor of Applied Studies degree) at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, had no intention of missing a day of school.

Not even an impending kidney transplant would cause him to miss a class.

So when the day came to check himself into Madison’s University of Wisconsin Hospital for a week, McClain was ready.

“I took my laptop to the hospital with me to keep up with class work,” said McClain, who knew when he started classes at UW-Green Bay in 2007 that he might someday need surgery. He had been having kidney problems for about eight years.

The Adult Degree Program classes he enrolled in were easy to keep up with because of e-mail and web-based learning, McClain said. He didn’t miss a single lesson or assignment.

“The Adult Degree Program was awesome,” he said. “That’s why I want to continue on some day to get my master’s degree. I really enjoy it. The internet classes give you so much leeway.”

McClain takes full 12-credit course loads. This fall he had classes online, one that met once every other week and one that met three times per semester on campus. His on-campus classes fell on days he was out of the hospital.

“It helps people by giving them options; enabling them to go to school when they still have to work,” he said.

Or in McClain’s place, while being in a hospital.

Prior to the transplant, McClain passed the time during some of his regular five-hour dialysis treatments by working toward his degree — reading textbooks, completing online coursework or doing research right at the hospital.

“I thought I might have to take an incomplete, but I put my mind to it and made the grades,” he said.

UW-Green Bay’s Adult Degree Program is all about access and giving people a chance to educate themselves, no matter what the circumstances, said Eric Craver, director of marketing and recruitment for the program.

“In a phrase, the Adult Degree Program seeks to meet students ‘where they are,'”Craver said. “For some, this is literally true, as they can take courses being offered in Green Bay, Appleton or Rhinelander. For others, it may be the fact that we offer more internet and online courses than any other major on campus. And others still take advantage of the Saturday and evening course offerings, allowing them to pursue their degree without having to take undue time away from work, family or even hospital visits.

“Robby showed us just how flexible the program is for degree-seeking adult learners.”

McClain plans to graduate next year with his new bachelor’s degree, a minor in business administration and a certificate in emergency management. He later wants to pursue a master’s degree in business.

Prior to his re-starting school, McClain was a reserve deputy for the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department and director of investigations for the Potawatomi Nation. He also owned a car repair shop, a U-Haul truck rental, and ran a small logistics company, all of which he had to shut down because of his ongoing health problems.

Originally from Mountain, Wis., McClain is a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in Oconto County.

He lives in Green Bay now while he recovers, but plans to soon move back to Mountain and continue to serve, learn and prepare for his life’s next chapter.

Click here to see a Fox 11 news story about McClain’s transplant.

Editor's Note: On April 4, UW-Green Bay honored Pamela Nelson (left), the woman who saved McClain's life with a kidney donation, with a certificate of recognition and a letter from Interim Chancellor David Ward. Pictured with Nelson and McClain is Eric Craver, director of marketing and recruitment with the Office of Adult Degree Programs.