Families from across Illinois and surrounding states traveled to SIUC for the annual Family Weekend, but a non-traditional family from Carbondale won this year’s Family of the Day Essay Contest.

Jeff and Jane Klingberg, who are parents to Ben, age 5 and Zach, age 4, said they are juggling lifestyles of parents and full-time students.

Students like Jane, a graduate student in educational psychology, and Jeff, a junior in speech therapy, are part of a group of students classified as non-tradtional students. These students are often older individuals, many of whom have families.

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Jeff Klingberg’s essay detailed the trials of his non-tradional family life. He said his family represents all the SIUC families that work hard to get a quality education for themselves and their families.

Jane Klingberg said she never thought of her daily schedule as complex, but after reading the essay, she realized balancing between children and classes is really difficult.

You have to map out every single day, she said. Work and family time are centered around your class schedule.

Jane said she hopes her family situation will remind people of the 30-percent enrollment of non-traditional students.

The conception of an SIUC student is the person drinking on the strip Saturday night, she said. They don’t perceive students as taking up residency, doing volunteer work, and going to church.

The Kingbergs said one of the hardest problems for non-traditional students is finding entertainment.

You are really in between, Jeff Klingberg said. You don’t go to the teachers’ parties, and you’re to old to go to the students’ parties.

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Jane Klingberg said they take advantage of the free summer concerts and other late night programs.

Everybody thinks that all the late night programming is for traditional students under 21, but we’re taking advantage of it too, she said.

She said one of SIUC’s strengths is its programs that support non-traditional students.

The time management and study skills programs that are offered, non-traditional students can’t live without, she said.

Jeff Klingberg said many non-traditional students are struggling, but their personal success comes from motivation.

We realize this is what we got to do, and we do it, he said.

Jane Klingberg said finishing school is a long-term project, but she does not regret her situation.

I don’t think I will be doing a thesis for awhile, she said.