CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As many students have headed back to the classroom over these last few weeks, so have adult learners.

A representative with the College Foundation of North Carolina says they’re seeing more adults wanting to head back to the classroom virtually, as they’ve had more time to re-evaluate their careers during the pandemic.

“We are seeing an influx of people re-evaluating if they want to go into a new career or advance the career they are in,” said Timeka Ruffin, the regional representative for the CFNC. "So it’s a great thing and because people are working from home now, so they have the opportunity to be able to research and find out what careers are out there.”

Ainsleigh Gonzalez is an adult learner who is set to graduate this December. She’s a mom and business owner who needed something that gave her flexibility, so her courses have been fully remote.

“It doesn’t feel like I am really doing that much work because it is online,” she said. “I am not going somewhere.”

She is working toward a degree in sociology.

“The online program is sociology with a concentration in organizations, occupation and work,” Gonzalez said. “So that's basically sociology, but it just has the concentration of the business side.”

She hopes to work in human resources one day and fill a gap during a labor shortage.