In six days I will be starting my second semester back in college. A semester that promises to be incredibly full, both with classes, and my schedule outside of school. In six days I will bid adieu to my social life until May 7th. A sacrifice I will be content to make in the pursuit of higher education.
In April of last year, April 1st 2015 to be exact, I was laid off from my posistion as executive assistant at Abiensa Engineering. One of the first casualties of many to come as the company, a subsidiary of Abengoa Engineering of Spain, began bankruptcy proceedings. After overcoming the initial shock and collecting my wits to face the inevitable job hunt ahead of me, I began to consider my options. Nothing like being suddenly unemployed to make you reconsider your career choices. As a single parent without a bachelors degree, the options for employment are few and far between. I had already discovered, much to my dismay, that the position of office manager or administrative assistant was one I excelled at. The need to put food on a table, care for two small children, and cover the bills meant gritting my teeth and dealing with a 9-5 job I grew to detest. I'd danced since I was three and sitting behind a desk all day, five days a week drove me to distraction. The amazing people I worked with kept me going though. Despite the frustration I faced I knew my priorities and put my own passions, history, writing and dance, on hold to care for my kids. So here I was, no job and no idea what was next. I hadn't been unemployed since my kids had been born, a brief few years when my ex-husband and I decided it would be best that I be a stay at home mom. We weren't interested in our kids growing up in a day care. Due to my divorce and relocation back to Missouri, my kids have been able to grow up surrounded by loving family and attend a wonderful school from the time they were 3 years old. My daughter even came to work with me, and played in her playpen, while I was an office assistant for a family owned lawn care company. When she turned three, she also started preschool and loved every second of it. So, on April 1st last year, facing my 34th birthday at the end of the month, I sat on my mom's couch in her office wiping away tears of frustration trying to figure out what to do. I remembered how much I had disliked my job and wondered why I was blubbering over losing the position. I'd been amazing at it, and being laid off didn't reflect in the least on my ability. But why start a search for another position I was bound to despise. My kids were in 4th and 6th grade then, and much more capable of taking care of themselves and even helping out more around the house. And as I knew my folks would support me moving forward, I began to consider the option of returning to school to finally finish my bachelors. I'd attended college on three seperate occasions so I wouldn't be starting from scratch, I hoped. I'd been at Southwest Missouri State back in 2000, Columbus State University in Columbus, GA in '04 and then had foolishly enrolled in University of Phoenix online in an attempt to get a business degree after my ex and I seperated. I wanted to improve my resume at the time and thought I could finish in 2 years; didn't happen.
Over the summer months I worked with my kids on our small family farm with my parents. Enjoying hours under the hot summer sun, planting two large gardens and helping with a wide variety of projects. I also began the first step in returning to school; the application process. Sometime in late July I received my acceptance letter to The Principia College in Elsah, IL. A small, private, liberal arts college. A school where I wouldn't be a number in a lecture hall, but where I could take advantage of a vast number of opportunities to really challenge myself while also using my skills as a parent to help other students. I had submitted my transcripts with my application, but started school not knowing my class rank. Whenever I was asked I simply responded with "unknown, non-trad, transfer student #1." It brought a laugh and I tried not to worry about how much time I was going to have to put into this new chapter of my life. I took three classes, American Revolution, Dance History and Fiction Writing I, as I knew I would enjoy all three and it would help me ease back into being in class. They did. I was also asked to help choreograph the college's fall musical of "Guys and Dolls." Not only did I have a blast and learn a ton, but I gained so many amazing new friends! Only a few weeks before the end of the semester my transfer credits were finally processed and I learned I would be completing my sophmore year that fall and starting January as a junior. I was thrilled! Half way there after only one semester, woooohoooo! But it also meant things were going to be kicked into high gear starting next week. I'll be declaring before the end of Spring Semester as a history major, and double minor in dance and english-creative writing so all of my fall classes were well chosen. I also finished the fall out with a 3.85gpa,two A's and two A-'es. Not too shabby for my first semester back.
So kickoff is next Monday, January 18th. I have five classes this semester, China, Middle Ages, Global Environmental Issues (my Natural Science gen ed requirement), Fiction Writing II and Modern Dance II. I'm also choreographing a piece for the Spring Dance Production as part of my Dance Minor requirement. During Christmas break I started a seasonal job at Macy's which I hope will continue with a few hours each week through the semester as well. After a lengthy Christmas break the juggling act will recommence, classes, rehearsals, kids, farm work, and retail work. I'm praying I don't drop anything. Last semester wouldn't have been possible without the unconditional support of my friends and family, who I know are in this till the end as much as I am. I hope in publishing this, that I may inspire even just one other young man or woman, who has left the call of higher education to seek new inspiration among the tired shelves of books and allow themselves to enjoy the thrill of learning once again. Never settle for where you are, demand more and get the most of what life has to offer! Carpe Diem right? And as Churchill once said, "Never give up, never give up, never give up!"
