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When 44-year-old Melissa Plush returned to Brooklyn College as an English major more than two decades after first enrolling, she brought with her not just determination, but a story shaped by loss, survival, and rediscovery.

Having just completed her coursework in December, Plush reflects on her journey back to higher education and the unexpected moments that made it possible.

You first came to Brooklyn College in 1999. What brought you here originally?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn and graduated from South Shore High School. Coming to Brooklyn College felt like the natural next step. I was a psychology major, and for a while I was doing pretty well. I remember one class in particular, Psych Statistics, just stopped me in my tracks. I tried it multiple times and couldn’t get past it. Also, life started happening. Responsibilities piled up, and I stepped away from school.

What happened after you stepped away?
I moved to New Jersey, got married, and had two children. I built a career as the director of a preschool and was doing well professionally. At that point, going back to school didn’t feel urgent. I was working, raising a family, and managing everything that comes with adult life. College felt like something I had already tried—and moved on from.

But things changed. What was the turning point?
It started with a medical issue. I had a severe toothache, needed a root canal, and developed a dry socket afterward. The pain was intense, and I was prescribed opioid medication. I was hooked before I even realized it. That period led to a cascade of problems—family tension, separation from my husband, and eventually losing my job when the preschool I worked at closed due to the casino shutdowns in Atlantic City.

How did you end up back in New York?
I needed a fresh start. I didn’t have a car anymore, I wasn’t working, and things in New Jersey had completely fallen apart. I came back to New York thinking I could rebuild. I thought I would stay with a cousin, and when that didn’t work out, I found myself homeless.

What was that experience like?
From 2017 to 2020, I lived on the streets of Manhattan, sleeping near 30th Street and Park Avenue. Not in shelters—on the sidewalk. It was an incredibly hard time. I was in an abusive relationship, cut off from my family, and just trying to survive day to day.

What changed your trajectory?
During the early days of the pandemic, a woman and her husband started coming around, handing out money to people on the street. She stopped to talk to me—and kept coming back. Her name is Traci. She was a retired patent attorney and had started the College Education Milestone Foundation, in memory of her father. She got to know me and said I seemed more like the type to be doing The New York Times crossword puzzle. She told me I wasn’t what she expected. She didn’t just see a homeless person, she saw me.

How did education reenter the picture?
Once I was able to secure housing and leave an abusive situation, Traci asked if I’d ever consider going back to school. At first, it wasn’t even on my radar. Instead, we started by writing a book together about homelessness during the pandemic. That book, Unsheltered Love, ended up on The Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Writing came naturally to me. I’ve always been strong in English—my mother was an English teacher—and that project reminded me of what I was capable of.

Is that what led you back to Brooklyn College?
Yes. Traci encouraged me to take a writing class, just to see how it felt. I breezed through it. That’s when I thought, maybe I can do this. With Traci’s support, I reapplied to Brooklyn College and was accepted in spring 2022.

What was it like returning as an older student?
Intimidating at first. I was clearly older than everyone else, sitting there with a notebook and pen while other students had tablets and fancy tech. But once I put my head down and focused on the work, it stopped mattering. Online classes helped a lot, too. They made it possible to balance everything without feeling so out of place.

Who supported you along the way at Brooklyn College?
So many people. Gina Priolo [an associate director in the college’s Student Success Unit], Professor Roni Natov, [Associate] Professor Martha Nadell, and the late Professor Carey Harrison were all instrumental. They worked with me to retain as many credits as possible from my earlier years and helped me map out a realistic path to graduation. Professor Harrison, especially, really reignited my love for learning.

Where are you now—and what’s next?
I have another book just released called Chasing Light. It picks up where my first book ends—going back to school, caring for my father before he passed, and rebuilding my life.

I don’t know exactly what I’ll do next, but I know it will involve writing, editing, or publishing.

What would you say to other adults considering a return to college?
I’m 44 years old. It’s never too late to start again. You might be surprised by how flexible and supportive the process can be. If I can come back after everything I’ve been through, it’s doable for a lot of people out there who think it isn’t.