A Lifelong Dream Realized Through Flexible, Supportive Adult Education
Misty Cauble still remembers exactly where she was when she learned she'd been accepted to the University of Virginia's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Standing in an Atlantic City hotel lobby during a mother-daughter weekend, she burst into tears after speaking with admissions counselor Suzi Dougald.
"I was in shock," Cauble recalls. "I had actually done it. I was going to attend the University of Virginia."
Today, as director of human resources and administration at the College Foundation of the University of Virginia, Cauble credits her transformative experience at the School with giving her the confidence, credentials and connections that propelled her career forward. Her story illustrates how UVA continuing education programs designed for adult learners accommodate demanding work schedules while delivering full academic rigor and institutional support.
Finding the Right Path After Life's Detours
Cauble's journey to higher education wasn't linear. After starting college courses at Germanna Community College, life intervened. She spent approximately 15 years in the food and beverage industry, later moving into experiential marketing as director of operations.
"My grandmother and my mom instilled in me from a young age that I could be anything I wanted to be in the world, with hard work and determination," Cauble says.
After several years in a stable position, she felt ready to finish what she'd started. While researching online degree programs, she discovered the School and its Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program.
Growing up in Orange County, just outside Charlottesville, Cauble was a lifelong UVA fan. When her acceptance became real, the emotional weight overwhelmed her. After calling her wife, who also cried, Cauble told her mother - her biggest champion - who calmly responded, "Well, it is about time." Then she screamed, cried and hugged her daughter all at once.
A Welcoming Community Built for Student Success
From her first interactions with the School, Cauble knew she'd found the right fit. The orientation experience at the university brought new students together to meet professors, the dean and fellow adult learners who would be graduating alongside them.
"I knew that I was going to be supported, and I knew also that I had UVA behind me," Cauble says. "I had the entire University of Virginia at my doorstep that I could utilize whenever I needed, and that's a huge part of it."
Unlike many adult degree programs, the School operates as an integral part of the University of Virginia. This means students gain access to world-class faculty, advising, libraries and career support: resources not always available in standalone programs.
Balancing Professional Growth with Academic Demands
Throughout her time in the BIS program, Cauble maintained her full-time position as director of operations. Initially, evening classes worked well with her schedule. As her role expanded and travel increased, however, she had to become strategic about course planning.
"I am a big planner, very organized," she explains. "I would strategically plan my course schedule with planned work trips in mind."
She communicated with professors from the start about necessary absences, and her instructors proved remarkably accommodating. Fellow students even offered to meet outside regular class sessions to ensure she stayed current with coursework.
During her final two years, Cauble traveled approximately once per month, typically for a week at a time. She attended classes from hotel rooms, buses, airports and production sets. "That's one of the key things that makes this program so successful," she says. "The professors and the programs being able to work with you on your schedule."
Transformative Mentorship and Cross-Generational Learning
One relationship proved particularly influential: Cauble's capstone mentor, Lisa Speidel. Taking Speidel's women and gender studies classes taught Cauble about critical thinking, challenging normative assumptions and confidence. When she enrolled in Speidel's classes on Grounds alongside traditional undergraduates, Cauble discovered the unique value she brought as an older student.
"I brought something to the conversation that they didn't think about from a different lens because of my age and my life experience," she says. "And they to me."
The faculty and staff at the School invest deeply in student success and recognize the distinctive experiences adult learners have contributed.
Personal Triumph and Professional Advancement
Graduating from UVA in 2019 represented a profound personal achievement. Cauble became the first person in her family to attend and graduate from a four-year institution. "I belonged among those who have worn the honors of honor. I graduated from Virginia," she says.
Shortly before completing her degree, she left the experiential marketing company where she'd worked for nearly a decade. After working through the pandemic at a local cast stone company, Cauble knew she wanted to work at UVA or one of its foundations. Through networking and connections developed during her time at the School, her path crossed with the College Foundation.
"It was a perfect fit," Cauble says.
She celebrated three years this past fall in her role. In 2024, she earned the SHRM-CP credential and became active in the UVA human resources consortium. "People are like, 'Oh, you are serious. You know what you're doing. Oh, you come from UVA? Okay, you're good.'"
Giving Back Through Community Service
Cauble's commitment to service predates her university education. With her background in food and beverage and event production, she's always been drawn to helping others, a quality she believes led her to human resources. Over the years, she's volunteered with many charitable organizations, from the Red, White and Blue Ball to the Festival of Trees benefiting Hospice of the Piedmont.
In 2022, a friend asked for help with the Charlottesville Finest Campaign and Brewers Ball for cystic fibrosis. The next year, Cauble was nominated as an honoree and recognized as Virginia's Finest by the Virginia Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She now serves on the Blue Ridge Board of Directors and chairs the Brewers Ball committee.
This past year, the campaign raised nearly $250,000. Cauble remembers the moment that total appeared on the screen at the ball. She turned to see a board member whose daughter has cystic fibrosis - and who attends UVA - with tears of astonishment in his eyes. "This is why I do what I do," she says.
Advice for Prospective Adult Learners
When asked what she'd tell someone considering the School, Cauble's response is immediate: "Do it."
She acknowledges her bias as a graduate but insists the School offers something truly exceptional for adult learners balancing work, family and other responsibilities. The connection to the University of Virginia provides academic and professional resources that standalone programs often lack.
Most importantly, she urges students not to miss the graduation ceremony. "There is nothing better in the world than walking the lawn," she insists. Cauble nearly postponed her final semester, but her wife encouraged her to push through.
For Cauble, the journey was the most rewarding one imaginable. The experience solidified what her grandmother and mother had taught her: she could accomplish anything.