The term "college kid" seems all but meaningless these days, given the rising numbers of adults on campus. The current economic downturn is funneling hundreds of thousands of over-25 Americans into postsecondary education--and that trend is sure to intensify as the global, knowledge-based economy demands workers with ever-higher levels of education and training. In this issue, readers will see the faces of today's adult-learning trend--real people confronting real-life problems as they work to carve out better lives for themselves and their families. This issue of "Focus," shines a spotlight on these students, and on the dedicated educators who work every day to help them reach their goals.