Growing up, Steven Heinze planned on following in his father’s footsteps. He went to a local vocational school where he learned to work on cars just like his dad.
At the age of 17, he began working in a manufacturing plant between 50 and 60 hours a week doing very strenuous work.
“That’s what my dad did, so that’s what I thought I wanted to do, but it just didn’t click with my personality very well,” said Heinze. “I got really burned out. I always wanted to try college, but in my family, you got a high school diploma so you could get a job. I always kind of wanted to go, but I didn’t necessarily have the opportunity to go, in my head at least.”
After 10 years of working at the plant, Heinze received a job as a custodian at Bluffton, working in Marbeck Center, Sommer Center and Founders Hall. From there, he decided to give college a try, enrolling as a part-time student at Bluffton.
Heinze has not officially declared a major, but he’s following a business track with the goal of eventually being able to do missionary work.
“I have the view that we’re all missionaries, so whether that be in Bluffton, or halfway around the world, just wherever I’m called to be,” said Heinze. “That’s probably way far down the road. I’m married and have a daughter, so that makes it hard.”
Heinze has been married to his wife for 10 years. She works at a local bank, and finished one of Bluffton’s adult degree-completion programs in May. His daughter is six years old and started kindergarten this year. Heinze said his wife’s completion of Bluffton’s program was helpful for their routine now, since they already had an idea of what to expect.
Heinze said he recognizes some challenges the age gap between him and his peers brings.
“Being a little older, and being a blue collar working class guy, I have a different perspective than what they’re intending things to be,” Heinze said. “In class, I get nervous that something I might say will take away from what they’re actually trying to get at.”
However, the different perspective Heinze brings to the classroom also has its positives.
“I think one major benefit is I view this as more of a privilege than a hoop to jump through to get a job,” said Heinze. “I’m not saying full-time students don’t take it seriously, but I view it as a privilege and take it very seriously. I understand how much work and effort the professors put into it, and I’m very thankful for that.”
For Heinze, the most difficult part of this experience is teaching himself how to be a student again.
“I was never really the best student in high school, probably because of effort more than anything,” said Heinze. “I’m pretty sure I did everything possible to not have to go to college. I went to a vocational school, I found a job when I was still in high school, so just learning to be a student for the first time, and care, is the hardest part.”
Overall, Heinze has bigger goals than simply acquiring a diploma.
He said, “My main goal is to learn some new skills to help me in my job now, be a better person in the world, and to eventually be able to do some long-term service experiences.”
