Personal Narrative: After Pursuing Higher Education

My decision to go back to school in the fall of 2012 was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I’m a stay at home mom of 4 boys with 2 of them being special needs. My oldest was born with a rare genetic condition called hereditary spastic paraplegia and my youngest son was born with a rare condition called Dravet Syndrome that requires 24/7 care. I was at a point in my life where I had lost my identity of who I was and I wanted to be me again. I made that important decision to go back to school for myself with the fear of how I was going to do it, but I knew that it was right. It took me 3 years to complete my AS but with the support of my husband and kids I was able to receive my degree. I worked hard and was able to juggle being

Throughout my educational experience I noticed the discrepancies with regard to the advantages my peers possessed. In high school as I began exploring what career I wished to pursue, I experienced inferiority as my classmates who’ve taken the ACT three times, visited college campuses, and have had resumes ready since the 6th grade unintentionally mocked my lack of college-readiness. However, my ignorance wasn’t intentional, my parents never reached a high school education in Mexico, they couldn’t pass down SAT tips or acquire internship opportunities for me. I realized it's vital to pick up the pace to avoid being left in the dust akin to countless others in my situation. Henceforth, this statement resonates with my experience, I interpreted

I have lived in two distinct communities: the first was the town of Moraga, the second, is the city of Stockton. The former is the epitome of white picket fence suburbia, with friendly neighbors, a high ranking public school system, and a non-existent crime rate. Growing up in Moraga, I was able to receive a great education, roam around freely, and never feared horrors such as gang shootings and drug abuse. Sadly, when I moved to the latter, most of these horrors were apparent weekly.

Chicago is one of the most racially segregated cities in America with the north side being predominantly occupied by whites, the south and west sides being occupied by blacks and the southwest and northwest being dominated by Hispanics. Chicago’s minority dominated neighborhoods has been plagued with increasing homicide rates, violent crimes, and a growing drug and gang culture. The city has been considered one of America’s most gang infested cities which means that murders and shootings are a common occurrence in everyday life for the residents. The spiraling rise in violence means a greater concentration of police and law enforcement which instills fear and paranoia of the police and ultimately the government into the community. This creates an especially deleterious environment for kids growing up in these neighborhoods who are constantly drawn in to the allure of gangs, drugs, and violence.

Returning to college has been a prodigious challenge. One in which I determined I would meet head on with resolution. As a fine arts student I was fortunate to find a mentor in the Paradise Valley Community College Theater Director, Andrea Robertson. Andrea perceived potential in me and encouraged pursuit my goals as a writer/director. I took the initiative to approach Andrea with the idea to write and direct my own play in the Advanced Directing course. This past fall that idea came into fruition. As a director I oversaw numerous different areas in the production of my play. These were roles filled by fellow students, allowing the opportunity to provide guidance and leadership to peers. I worked with actors, stage management, set design, prop

It’s never too late. These are words I whole heartedly believe. A year and a half ago I decided to go back school to study nursing. Coincidentally, a week after I enrolled in classes I found out I was ten weeks pregnant. As any woman would I had my doubts about whether I could handle going to school and now being pregnant. But then I thought, I now had even more of a reason to go back. I would soon have a child who would be looking up to me. I wanted to be able to set a good example for them. I started attending classes in the fall as a part time student. Considering I had not been in school for over ten years the transition was a lot easier than I had thought it would be. My teachers were nice as well as my classmates. I finished a semester

I always believed that things would just work out in the end. That I did not need to be wrapped up in over complicated situations because they would unravel themselves. I had this idea that I would grow up, go to college, and then get a job. My older brother Joseph had a similar idea. He started at the University of Dayton in August of 2015, but decided to come back home to our house in Bucks County at the end of October in 2015. His simple decision of “college wasn’t for me” had single handedly ripped me from my cozy reality that “everything works out” and had pitted my family against one another.

Upon entering college, I thought that you had to have a majority of your life planned out. You had to have a career of interest, an intended major, and a solid plan for after college. Little did I know, you didn’t need your whole life agenda prearranged after high school graduation. A lot of people say that college is a time to explore and find yourself, and that was something I never fully grasped until I was enrolled at Western Washington University. Throughout my first year and a quarter, I’ve had the ability to take classes in many different fields of study ranging from; humanities, lab sciences, multicultural studies, and many more. Even though these array of different classes were taken for General University Requirements, it allowed

I went through a lot in life as a child. Growing up was not easy as a kid ( especially

Legacy has provided a wonderful foundation for me as a first time college student. To start, Legacy has created a cohort in its own to provide support for me and many other first time and returning college students. Before entering into college I did not have a lot of different responsibilities to take care of. My main focus was to go to high school, got to work, and go home. Starting college and especially the Legacy program has taught me more responsibility. I have been taught how to manage my time. Although, it is still a work in progress, I still have learned how to go to work, go to school, study, and take care of my responsibilities at home as well. Taking English 60/100/117 and Ethnic Studies 129 has help me everywhere from studying

I am a college graduate. I am proficient in the English language. I am knowledgeable with the computer operations. I am a very responsible, diligent and hardworking individual.

Public school systems need to be more sensitive to their students. Parents play the major role in determining a child’s academic outcome, but the school system needs to notice children who don’t necessarily acknowledge their gift. These children need guidance -- I believe it is the schools’ responsibility to provide it to them. I have been through a situation that makes me feel strongly about the subject. My example is an indisputable case in point.

Having been sponsored to leave China and study in the states, I had seemingly abandoned my piano career; my family simply did not have the funds to purchase another piano for me or pay for lessons. This changed when I received 50% off piano tuition from Cape Cod Conservatory and a grant from Olive Cahoon Classical Piano Scholarship Awards in order to pursue my future piano study in the US. Remarkably, I had also been donated a piano from John Gage, allowing me to pursue my passion. I simply could not comprehend the generosity of these strangers whom I had never met. Instead of furthering my own need, I now take time to volunteer for local charities and places in need, such as playing piano in senior homes, volunteering in hospitals and elementary

Starting with the personal plan in stage one, meeting with an academic counselor to create and follow a plan for degree completion I think is key for being on track to successfully finishing at Normandale. I think a lot of people tend to be on the more confused side with all of the classes they have to take and actually figuring out which ones they truly need can be a struggle. Two days ago I met with a counselor to figure out which classes I needed to take to be on schedule for completing at the end of this academic year with an associate’s degree and being ready to transfer, with engineering having similar standards at many schools I was unsure of which school to go to. The adviser really gave me an idea of the correct direction to go and

When I tell people that I grew up in a small college town, they automatically assume that my entire time was spent bored out of my mind. This could not be further from the truth; there's far more to Muncie than frat houses and college football. I spent much of my childhood lost inside the stacks of the public libraries, helping out the librarians, or serving on the teen advisory board. Some of my favorite memories have been at the college; Often, Ball State invites people of influence to speak, from politicians to Holocaust survivors. Although these speakers are invited for the benefit of the college students, many of these events are open to the general public as well. The local children's museum has hundreds of exhibits on everything from