When she was a student at Temple, Kylie Dryden, a 2024 graduate of the Bachelor of General Studies program offered by Temple University University College, had a unique goal. She wanted to take at least one course at multiple Temple campuses.

"I knew Temple had so much to offer outside of Main Campus. It was exciting being in the city, but I wanted to see what other experiences I could have at Temple," she said. "I had credits that I needed to complete, so that brought me to Temple Ambler and the Adventure Challenge/Programming course."

Offered by Temple's Recreational Therapy degree program in the College of Public Health,  Adventure Challenge/Programming benefits "all students interested in developing experiential leadership skills and is open to all majors."

"The course introduces students to theoretical and practical approaches to using experiential learning and adventure therapy techniques in various professional settings," according to Temple's Undergraduate Bulletin. "Students move through a progression of team-building activities and are taught core leadership skills required when facilitating adventure-based activities for persons of all abilities."

Instruction in the course makes extensive use of the Temple Ambler Low Ropes Challenge Course.

"I wanted to take a class that was different from any class I had taken before. I knew that it would be taught outside and movement-focused, which I was really interested in — I wanted something that was going to get me on my feet and out of the classroom," Dryden said. "I found the idea of the course very interesting — it trains you to be a facilitator of experiential learning programs. Your final is creating and facilitating actual programs."

From that course, Dryden said, "I got a better understanding of leading groups of people."

"Even when it's not in a setting such as a challenge course, you learn how to plan for a group, look at all of the factors of who is participating, what will work best for them, safety measures and simply being able to stand in front of a group of people and lead them from Point A to Point B," she said. "Those are all very transferable skills."

According to Dryden, she discovered University College's Bachelor of General Studies in 2023 while she was "trying to find my way through Temple and what I was interested in learning about."

"I came to Temple in 2018. The majors that I had tried weren't really clicking, though I did have a great opportunity to work in the Performing Arts Center at Main Campus," she said. "When I heard about the Bachelor of General of Studies program, I knew it was the perfect fit — enabling me to finish my degree while also pursuing my personal interests."

In addition to the capstone class, which every student in the BGS program takes, "I was able to take some courses that really spoke to my personal interests," Dryden said.

"I took a photography class and a few sign language classes," she said. "There's a great deal of flexibility in the program, which was a huge benefit to me as a student. You can in many ways develop your own path."

The diversity of students in the capstone classes was an important factor in what she got out of the program, Dryden said.

"It provided a broad range of viewpoints during conversations we were having in class," she said. "With the conversations and interactions we had, everyone brought something different to the table because people had all of these different experiences — they'd gone to school in different places, they'd learned different things, they'd had entire careers before coming back to the classroom. It was fascinating to hear what everyone had to contribute."

Dryden said one of the driving forces for her to finish what she started at Temple was her family.

"My family has always been very academically oriented, focusing on careers and lifelong learning. I wanted to do it for myself, of course, but I also wanted to do it for them," she said. "Having a degree, I feel, is essential. It sets you apart when you are entering the jobs market. For me, it was a sense of accomplishment — I wanted to get to that finish line."

Looking toward the future, Dryden said she wants to continue her focus on working in the performing arts, particularly working with children. She grew up taking part in Upper Darby Summer Stage, she said, "initially performing then later working for the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation," where she is currently Director of Audience Services. She also spent some time between semesters at Temple to take part in the Disney College Program.  

"A lot of the programs I've been part of have involved working with kids, typically middle and high school age. They definitely need someone to guide and lead them," she said. "What works for each individual student can be very different. I've had the opportunity to learn different ways to reach kids in their learning and how best to support them in that process. That's where my career path has led me and I'm excited for what comes next."

The Bachelor of General Studies is designed for learners with prior college and at least sixty transferable credits who are ready to complete their undergraduate degree. The 120-credit bachelor's program focuses on creating a solid foundation for a wide variety of careers and it allows students the opportunity to customize their degree path. Learn more about the Bachelor of General Studies here.