Jen Nash would like to help connect fellow graduates of Brock’s Adult Education degree and certificate programs.

Nash, who graduated from the BEd in Adult Education degree program in 2010, hopes to cover the distance of geography and complexities of life through social media and bring together a group of professionals who have much to talk about and share.

Nash recently created the Brock University Adult Education Community on LinkedIn, a business-related social networking site. She extends an invitation to all graduates, as well as current students and facilitators of the program, to join the group.

Camille Rutherford, Interim Director for the Adult Education program at Brock, is thrilled that Nash has taken the initiative to help create connections.

“Many students take Adult Education courses online and so are living and working across the country,” she says. “The program also offers face-to-face learning with classes held in as many as 20 communities across Ontario. Social media offers the best bet in reaching out to build connections for anyone who is or has been involved in the program.”

Nash’s timing couldn’t be better as the program prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.

Within a few days of starting the group in mid April, Nash had a dozen or so followers and that doubled in no time as the numbers continue to grow.

It is a small beginning, Nash says, but it has great potential.

“The Adult Education program attracts such a diverse group of learners from so many places and I started wondering, from a graduate perspective, what other grads are doing with their degrees,” says Nash, who lives in Toronto and works in the pharmaceutical industry. “I also hope that current students will join as well as the facilitators of the courses. There is so much for people to share as adult education colleagues – the sky is the limit.”

Nash is one of thousands of graduates of the program over the last two decades. Currently, there are approximately 400 students enrolled in the program, including Nash’s mother, Lynne Grant, a teacher at George Brown.

“My mom introduced me to the program and together we have been adult learners,” says Nash. “So far, I’m getting great response from the new members. I just need to keep getting the word out that we exist.”