Follow your dream
Have you ever taken a chance? I mean a real risk? Take a big step outside your comfort range and do something you never thought you would or could do? I had an opportunity to go back to college after I was in my mid 40s. I was a terrible, lazy student in High School, and did not think I could handle college level work.
In 2001, the call center where I was working was shut down; I was forced to do a lot of reevaluating of who I was and what I wanted to do. I guess I had a huge dose of “mid life crisis” forced on me. Having Served in the Air Force, and retired with a minor disability, I had Veterans Administration benefits in addition to the G.I. Bill available to me. I was given an opportunity I thought had passed me by. I took a huge chance, stopped by the registrar's office for the college I had dreamed of attending when I was still in my late teens. During my visit with the Dean of Transfer Admissions, it did not look well. She told me she did not think I had done enough to get into that school. Not willing to give up on my dream that quickly, I asked, "What would I have to do to get in?" She replied, "Good Question." and gave me a list of about 25 to 30 things I could do to prepare myself for the school, she said I should start by taking classes at a community college, get good grades, keep working, and take some specific classes. Then come back in about a year and we could talk again. I followed her advice, did everything she wanted me to do, and called her a year later, made an appointment to visit her. This time, the results were different, after looking over everything I had done in that year, her response this time was, “It's time to apply.” I was beside myself I had worked so hard for a year and a half, to have the door opened like that was such an amazing feeling.
That was four years ago, I am now a senior at the college of my dreams, I found out even in my late 40s, I can do the work that is necessary to succeed at a major college, in fact, I have finished my Major work in History, and working on my second major in Elementary education. I have also finished my “General Education Requirements,” and my foreign language requirement. In fact, I will be graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Arts.
The moral is, never give up on your dreams, become a life long learner, it is an experience you will never regret.
In 2001, the call center where I was working was shut down; I was forced to do a lot of reevaluating of who I was and what I wanted to do. I guess I had a huge dose of “mid life crisis” forced on me. Having Served in the Air Force, and retired with a minor disability, I had Veterans Administration benefits in addition to the G.I. Bill available to me. I was given an opportunity I thought had passed me by. I took a huge chance, stopped by the registrar's office for the college I had dreamed of attending when I was still in my late teens. During my visit with the Dean of Transfer Admissions, it did not look well. She told me she did not think I had done enough to get into that school. Not willing to give up on my dream that quickly, I asked, "What would I have to do to get in?" She replied, "Good Question." and gave me a list of about 25 to 30 things I could do to prepare myself for the school, she said I should start by taking classes at a community college, get good grades, keep working, and take some specific classes. Then come back in about a year and we could talk again. I followed her advice, did everything she wanted me to do, and called her a year later, made an appointment to visit her. This time, the results were different, after looking over everything I had done in that year, her response this time was, “It's time to apply.” I was beside myself I had worked so hard for a year and a half, to have the door opened like that was such an amazing feeling.
That was four years ago, I am now a senior at the college of my dreams, I found out even in my late 40s, I can do the work that is necessary to succeed at a major college, in fact, I have finished my Major work in History, and working on my second major in Elementary education. I have also finished my “General Education Requirements,” and my foreign language requirement. In fact, I will be graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Arts.
The moral is, never give up on your dreams, become a life long learner, it is an experience you will never regret.
posted by Art at 8:20 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Art,
What an inspiring story you have written! I'm glad you did not give up your dream. Now it looks like you will soon be entering one of our classrooms and will dare to make a difference in the lives of our students! I wish you the best.
Do you plan to continue blogging when you are in a classroom? I hope you will! We need our voices heard in education!
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