A New Path…

Who’da thunk it….

I’ve decided to go to college…

Oh I know…I’m slightly over the hill and way older than the traditional college student.  I tried it once…years ago..right out of high school, hell bent on being the first person in my family to get a degree.  But, 2 weeks into it, I met a guy and decided being with him was way more important than getting some silly education.

Shortly after I dropped out, I went back to my old high school and visited one of my favorite teachers…Mr. Sternberg.  He wasn’t surprised when I fessed up about my recent escape from college.  He told me he that he had had concerns I wasn’t ready, not so much academically, but rather not ready in terms if discipline and committment.  I asked him why he never mentioned this to me, to which his response was…some lessons in life need to be learned first hand.  Translated…I wouldn’t have listened anyway.

But, he was right.  I was sooo not ready.  Back then, all of my friends knew exactly where they were going in life…and me…well I was floundering around trying to figure out what I wanted to do each day.  The big picture of life was just too overwhelming.

I’m pretty sure Mr. Sternberg had no idea it would be 28 years before I was ready to take the plunge.

So why do this now?

Well, my epiphany came about as a result of a bunch of little things. For starters I had a hysterectomy and because I had to recover and miss work…I had a bunch of time on my hands.  Time to actually think about my life and that I just couldn’t see myself at my current job until I retire.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love my job. However it is very demanding, both physically and hours worked. Not to mention the supervisory responsibilities that go with being a manager.  It all takes it’s toll.

Realizing this, I began to take steps to  “get out” and explore options that I’d enjoy and earn a living doing.  So I put my nose to the grindstone and because I had 6 weeks off  work to recover, I worked on a book that had floated around in my head for the past year.  I sent it off to various agents and publishers and much to my surprise, a few expressed some interest.  (don’t get too excited…there is a BIG difference between interest and wanting to publish) 

Will it get published?  I’m sure it will someday.  But the bigger question is will I be able to support myself as a writer?  Unfortunately, the answer to that is a big fat…no.  And that’s ok…I can always write as a hobby.

So after coming down from my pie in the sky dreams of being a rich famous author, I found myself still stuck in the place of knowing I needed to make a change, but not having any idea what to do.

Then my oldest daughter Katie called me and told me about how she was finally going to do something about the job she hated so much.  She had enrolled in cosmetology school.  I was proud of her and her decision to take control of her destiny.

I was envious…she was going to  “get out”.

In the meantime, I went back to work.  My grand idea of finding something else to do with my life fell by the wayside when I resumed my 60 hour a week schedule. Physically and mentally exhausted, I spent most of my days off doing nothing…with the exception of feeling sorry for myself. 

I made a bucket list, hoping this would motivate me. My list not only helped me to prioritize things which are important to me…it made me look forward instead of looking back.  At the top of the list was to make a difference, followed by spending more time with family, and to see the world and experience different cultures.

Great…so here I had this list…but once I wrote it all down, I had no time to really think about how I could carry out any of it. 

This is where God, destiny, fate, or whatever you choose to call it, stepped in.

I developed complications regarding my recovery from surgery and my doctor ordered me on light duty at work for 3 weeks.  Because of these restrictions I was unable to perform my job duties, prompting my employer to put me on medical leave for 3 weeks.

Now I had all the time in the world…however all I could think about was how stuck I was and how my situation only reaffirmed that I just couldn’t physically do my job for another 20 years until I retire.

My options were limited…I could certainly go back into upper management in the restaurant industry… but the hours are brutal, weekends, nights, holidays.  None of which would bring me closer to my goal of making a difference, spending time with family, and seeing the world.

My aha moment came one day when I sitting at home, on medical leave, feeling completely sorry for myself.  I was channel surfing and settled on House Hunters International on the HGTV channel.  If you’ve never seen it, a film crew follows a family as they search for a vacation home to buy in another country.  Well in this particular episode, a young couple…teachers from California…were looking for a vacation property in Italy.

As I was watching the details of their house hunting, I began thinking about how lucky they were to have a career where they have summers off, enabling them to travel or do whatever they wished. The perfect job.

Inspired by Katie’s recent decision to go back to school, and because I had nothing else to do at the moment…I let my fingers do the walking and researched on the internet to find just what a person would have to do to achieve a teaching degree. 

I was surprised to learn that I could earn a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the local state college by completing the courses online. 

Now I shouldn’t have been too surprised.  My older sister Cindi had earned her bachelor degree in Economics online, and she is in the process of getting her Master’s Degree from George Washington University. 

Ok…so now what?  I had lot’s of questions…how long would it take?  How much would it cost? I already knew teaching was something I would enjoy doing.  But I was still unclear of just how to get there.

Other questions were, what topic would I teach?  Would I focus on elementary education, or middle school and high school?

My answer came when I called my Mom to tell her about my thoughts about possibly going into teaching.  She told me about some friends of hers that had taught English as a Second Language in Italy.  My Mom suggested I look into teaching ESL, considering my desire to see the world.

Now that I got the what I was going to do, I still had to deal with the cost, and how much time it would take.  I set up an appointment and went to the college to help with the answers. 

The student advisor told me about a program they have for older folks like me…called an accelerated degree in which I can earn credits based on prior experience.  It’s not easy, but she said as a working adult we have learned the skills however we lack the knowledge of the supporting theory.  With help from an instructor I can tailor my courses, and earn credits for prior learning.

Realistically, I am looking at getting me degree in 4 years, even if at 3/4 versus full-time.

As far as the cost and funding an education.  I had no idea how many options are available in the form of loans and grants.  This is where my current status of having a job that pays peanuts is a blessing and not a curse…for a couple of reasons.  First being, if I had a high paying job, I’d probably never consider changing careers…I’d just suck it up and deal with it as long as I had a nice paycheck.  But I don’t…and because of my meager salary, I qualify for a Pell Grant which would cover $5,500 a year towards my tuition.

In addition to the Pell Grant, I also qualify for a Direct Stafford loan, up to $9,500 which must be paid back after I graduate. 

There is also a grant called the Teach Grant, where if you agree to teach a high need topic (ESL is one) in a low-income school for 4 years after you graduate, the grant will cover your entire education.  The downside is if you do not fulfill your end of the agreement, you have to pay back the loan with interest.

I’m considering the Teach Grant for a couple of reasons.  First off, I will be working on my goal of making a difference in someone’s life, secondly I am all but guaranteed a full-time teaching job after I complete my degree and get my teaching certificate.  I will not have to join the pool of substitute teachers waiting for an opening.  The last reason is obvious…I will not have to pay back my students loans during my retirement years.

I can not think of a better career choice to do something I will enjoy, with holidays and summers off, affording me the time to see my family more.  Plus giving me the opportunity to pick up ESL teaching assignments in far away places, enabling me to see the world and learn about different cultures.

Am I scared?…Hell yea…

I have to take what’s called a Accuplacement Test.  The college will use my scores in English and Math to determine whether or not I need refresher courses (which do not contribute to my credits needed for my B.A.)

Online there are various websites offering sample questions, preparing you for the real deal.  After taking the English test and scoring 100%, I was thankful Ms. Schroeder my high school formal comp teacher, was so hard on me in class.

Now Math…well that is a different story.  I got as far as the first sample question and realized that I had no idea what I was doing. So I found a website offering refresher lessons in basic algebra, and basic geometry.  I spent the entire day yesterday reading lessons, and completing quizzes.  I’ve got to say…I was surprised at how quickly I picked up on the rules and theories…only to forget them after 5 minutes.  I never thought I’d say this…but I wish I had paid more attention in Mrs. Bresler’s advanced algebra class my junior year.  At the time, all I could think about was how I would never use it again. Never say never…

I still have time to cram it all in.  I do not go back to work until Friday, and I am going to take the test on Thursday.

Wish me luck!!

BM

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