It’s ok with me that my fellow classmates and peers sometimes call me “Auntie”. I am currently a 47 year old full time student attending a community college, and frequently I am one of the oldest students in class. It has taken me many years to get to the point in my life where I could return to school as a full time student and I am truly grateful to be able to be pursuing my educational goals. I take my education very seriously, and I plan to make full use of this opportunity. Returning to school has greatly improved my quality of life and I can feel the benefits of it on a daily basis. I feel positively mentally stimulated and focused as well as motivated and hopeful of a bright future. I am honestly enthusiastic and excited as I head off to school and work each morning. This experience has changed my whole outlook of life today.
I had to overcome
many obstacles to get to get to this point. I also believe that when we come
out on the other side of obstacles, we can obtain wisdom and strength. Therefor
sometimes obstacles can be a necessary part of our journey. I grew up with violence and tragedy as a
child. My mother committed suicide when
I was only 6 years old and I was raised by my grief stricken abusive
grandmother and alcoholic father and grandfather. I was a severely emotionally disturbed child
and dropped out of school before completing the 8th grade and ran
away from home. I spent years in and out
of runaway homes and detention centers.
At age 19 I found what I thought I was searching for, someone who loved
and would care for me. I settled into a
relationship, we married and I felt stable for the first time in my life. I entered and completed a vocational training
program. I earned certificates as a
Medical Assistant, and I entered in to the workforce and worked for the next 22
years with this limited educational background.
Although I worked my way up the ladder in the company’s I worked for, I
was always limited to further advancement and limited salary potential due to
my lack of educational background.
Unfortunately, my
first marriage failed for many reasons including alcohol and abuse in the
relationship. I moved to Hawaii in 1998
and there I entered into 2 other long term relationships without careful
consideration. A friend of mine once
said to me that she thought that my “picker was broken” and that I seem to
instinctively choose partners with issues, with the intent of “fixing them”
with love. I had 3 beautiful children
and the last relationship ended with me packing up my children and a few
belongings, and fleeing to the local domestic violence shelter for safety a few
years ago. This was a turning point for
me. I made the decision at that time
that I would start a new path in life for me and my children. Instead of channeling energy to look for a
new partner, which had been my pattern in the past, I took the time and effort
to look within myself, get services and support for my children and work on our
own personal healing process.
I began to take action towards independent self-sufficiency
and fulfilling my lifelong desire to return to school and obtain a college
degree for my career. My children
thrived and I attended evening classes at the Waipahu School for adults for a
year and a half while working full time at Kahi Mohala Hospital. We lived in 2 different domestic violence
shelters and eventually found housing in a homeless transitional shelter for
the next 2 years. I completed my GED and
obtained my High School Diploma in May 2008.
In 2010, while still living in transitional housing through
the Salvation Army, I felt stable enough to reach out for support and decided
to move forward and pursue my educational goals.
One of the first places that offered me support was TRIO-SSS
at Windward Community College. They
helped me with the process of enrollment, orientation to the campus as well as
academic support through individual tutoring sessions. From the very beginning TRIO has provided me
with emotional, professional and academic support that has enabled me to be
successful in the educational forum. The
services that are provided and the positive and motivating fellowship that I
have received from TRIO has been the driving force that has enabled me to
successfully move towards reaching my life long educational goals, and I am
very grateful!
I have just
completed 4 semesters at Windward with a 3.94 GPA. I have completed all of the core educational
classes required to transfer to UH Manoa and I have applied to the BSW School
of Social Work for which I plan to enter in the fall. I want to work in the field of human services
as a Social Worker on the community and organizational level eventually
obtaining a Master’s degree. I enjoy working
with others with common interest and goals and serve as the president of Psi
Beta Honor Society of Psychology, vice president of Phi Theta Kappa honor
society. I am very active on campus and
enjoy my volunteer activities to support positive change and giving back to my
community.
I am now also a proud student worker through the
bridge-to-hope program at TRIO, as a peer mentor and tutor. Now I am able to welcome and assist new
students coming into TRIO and be part of the important network of support that
enables students to thrive, as I did. I
honestly can say that I attribute my success in the educational forum a direct
result of receiving the services and support through being a TRIO participant.
Please continue to fund TRIO SSS so that it can continue to provide the same
opportunities to future students.
UPDATE as of Spring 2016
Kathy graduated with her BSW in social work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa at the end of the Summer 2015 semester.
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