By Sian Wilkerson

When Chanté Holt first began her undergraduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2005, it was as a mass communications major. But before she was able to finish her degree, her family could no longer afford for her to continue so she left to begin working, taking a break from school that would last 10 years.

Now, Holt, who will receive her master’s degree in urban and regional planning in May from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, is thankful for that hiatus because it allowed her to consider her interests with a sharpened perspective.

“I was just living in the world, looking at my experiences and really connecting with my community, trying to figure out exactly what were my passions, what were the things I actually wanted to do with my life,” she said. “And in that time, I started to learn about issues with urban planning” such as food deserts and housing discrimination.

From there, she said, “a fire was lit.”

Holt returned to her undergraduate studies in 2018, using her tuition benefit as a VCU employee. This time, however, her major had shifted to urban and regional studies, an area of study that aligned with her new interests. Coming back after so many years away was daunting, Holt said, especially because she was also working full time with VCU Parking & Transportation.

Before starting the urban and regional planning master’s program, Holt transferred to a new role with the Office of Grants & Contracts Accounting in the University Controller’s Office at VCU. As when she was with Parking & Transportation, she received steadfast support for her academic pursuits, she said – even when she wasn’t expecting it.

“Last year, I had some professors ask me about doing a study abroad trip,” Holt recalled. “I was like, ‘Well, you know, I would love to do that, but I work full time so I don’t think I’ll be able to get three weeks off to go do this.’ But when I mentioned it to my team manager     , she said, ‘Well, why can’t you?’”

Last summer, Holt traveled to Kaiserslautern, Germany, as part of the Trans-Atlantic Seminar in Urban and Regional Planning, which offers VCU students the opportunity to work with students from the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University to compare and contrast how Germany and the U.S. address similar issues. The experience was so fulfilling that Holt is planning to return to Europe this year as a graduation present to herself.

Down the road, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D., but after years of juggling work and school, Holt is content to wait before returning to the classroom.

“It’ll be a little bit before I even think about getting into my field,” she said. “I have a great job here, so my goal at the moment is to really concentrate on my work and try to grow my skills as a grant accountant.”

For Holt, the VCU community has been “really positive and very helpful,” she said. Co-workers and supervisors have demonstrated that they were invested in Holt “not only as a worker but as a person.”

“We just champion each other, and I like the fact that there is so much support – not even just with talking to people, but there are also so many options and services to utilize,” she said.

At commencement, Holt hopes that seeing her decked out in her cap and gown will inspire her 7-year-old nephew.

“We’re making sure he gets to see me graduate so that he can say, ‘Oh, since [my aunt] has graduated, that’s something I can look forward to.”

She even plans to give him a bag of VCU swag, both to help him feel included – and to give him a little push toward the Ram family. And he’s not the only one she hopes to encourage, either.

“I hope more older, nontraditional students take the leap to going back and getting their education, because it has been fulfilling,” Holt said. “I can’t even imagine what my life would have been like if I wasn’t able to take that journey.”