Credit for Prior Learning: Kaylan discovers the value of her career
When Kaylan Mumford's youngest son graduated from high school, she found herself with something she hadn't had in years, time for herself. A wife and mother of three adult children, Mumford decided to use that time to pursue her Master of Business Administration at the University of Memphis.
As a longtime corporate professional and international tax advisor at FedEx, Mumford had years of experience behind her. Through Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), she chose the portfolio pathway, documenting the knowledge and skills she had developed through her career and providing evidence of her learning for academic evaluation.
“I didn’t realize how much I had accomplished until I started writing about all of those professional experiences,” she said. “It added up quickly for me.”
Her portfolio grew to more than 100 pages before she began cutting it down. The process gave Mumford a chance to step back and recognize the impact of her work. She saw systems and programs she had implemented, documents and reports she had created, and contributions she had made over the years.
“You don’t realize how much you’ve contributed to an organization,” she said. “You start looking at the systems and programs you’ve implemented and realize, ‘Wow, I did a lot.’”
Now, with graduation planned for May 2027, Mumford has a message for other adults considering a return to school: “Every day you wake up, you have time. You’re never too old.” She encourages working professionals to keep a record of what they learn and accomplish throughout their careers, then take the time to recognize its value. “It does matter when you’re contributing to an organization,” she said. Her advice is simple, "Don’t minimize what you do."
To learn more about Credit for Prior Learning and explore whether your learning could count toward your degree, visit www.memphis.edu/cree/cpl/
CPL helped Destiny make education fit her outside the classroom
Destiny Carter knew from an early age that she wanted to be a police officer. A Memphis native and graduate of A. Maceo Walker High School, she earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Southwest Tennessee Community College before beginning her law enforcement career. Today, Carter is a police officer pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice at the University of Memphis.
Carter became a mother at 18 and later returned to school while working nights and raising two children. After pausing her education, she returned to the University of Memphis in summer 2026 as a wife, mother and full-time police officer. When her advisor learned about her previous credits and professional learning, she referred Carter to Credit for Prior Learning (CPL).
Through the pre-assessed pathway, Carter submitted documentation of her law enforcement training, certifications and academy learning experiences. Her evaluation resulted in academic credit for demonstrated college-level learning.
“When the CPL coordinator explained all these course credits I could get, I almost cried,” Carter said. “The process has given me so much time back.”
Her professional learning has given her knowledge in areas directly connected to her criminal justice studies, from report writing and evidence handling to responding to people in crisis and analyzing criminal activity. “These are things I’ve dealt with daily,” she said.
Carter is on track to graduate in December 2026. She hopes to continue advancing through the police department, eventually pursuing a master's degree.
For other working adults who may not realize their experience has value, her advice is simple: “Do your research. If you are enrolled in school, ask your advisor. Ask if they have a CPL program. Ask if your experience can be applied.”
CPL has made the difference between trying to fit school into Carter’s already busy life and finding an educational path that works with it. “It made finishing my degree fit my life instead of forcing my life to fit around school,” she said.
To learn more about Credit for Prior Learning and explore whether your learning could count toward your degree, visit:
