At 58, Tammy Hook just finished a double major – a journey nearly 15 years in the making
At 58, Tammy Hook just finished a double major – a journey nearly 15 years in the making
When Tammy Hook walks across the Commencement stage, the moment will represent far more than the completion of her degrees. At 58, Hook is graduating from the University of Northern Iowa as a double major in accounting and business administration – the culmination of a journey that began nearly 15 years ago.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Hook said of reaching the finish line. “It’s been such a long time coming. I’m very thankful. It just doesn’t feel like it’s actually ending.”
To many on campus, Hook is a familiar face. She currently serves as the office coordinator in UNI’s School of Music, where she manages financial and payroll operations, oversees office functions, and supports dozens of student employees.
After high school, Hook married and raised a family. She began working for UNI in February 2010 at UNI-CUE. With her children grown, she decided it was finally time to pursue a degree and began taking classes at UNI-CUE in the evenings. She took advantage of UNI’s tuition reimbursement program, which made the decision possible.
“I started out taking all the liberal arts classes I could get there in the evenings, because I worked in Waterloo,” she said.
Living in La Porte City, Hook realized that continuing her coursework would eventually require regular travel to Cedar Falls. “I was reaching the point that I had taken all the classes I could take at UNI-CUE, so I decided I needed to find a job on campus.”
In her role as office coordinator in the School of Music, Hook puts her academic experience to work daily.
“The bulk of my job is financial and payroll,” she said. “We probably have 55 to 60 student employees, and I approve most of the time cards. I handle all the hiring paperwork within the department. We probably have 100 accounts that I manage and reconcile. I also oversee all the operations in the office.”
Though she is happy in her current role, completing her degrees has opened new possibilities. She credits supportive supervisors and faculty for helping her reach the finish line.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have department heads who have supported me,” she said. “Taking accounting and business administration classes fit within the job that I do, and they were flexible with my work schedule.”
While juggling family life, doing homework during vacations and spending late nights at the computer after workdays, Hook also found encouragement in the classroom.
“I think some of my accounting professors – knowing how difficult that major can be – were very supportive,” Hook said of the environment she’s found in the Wilson College of Business. “Sometimes when you walk into class as a non-traditional student, it’s a little intimidating. Knowing that you have the support of those faculty members means a lot.”
She spent many hours in tutoring sessions in the business building and built connections with students pursuing the same majors. Hook also points to Tim Lindquist as a particularly supportive presence during her time in the program.
As she prepares to walk in Commencement, Hook hopes her story encourages others who may be considering a return to college.
“I just want anybody who’s thinking about being a non-traditional student to know that it’s not always going to be easy,” she said, “but it will always be worth the effort that you’re putting in.”
