High School Reunion Research Paper

This July I will be attending my 20th high school reunion. 20 years ago I did not have major plans on continuing school with my friends at either a junior college or university. I, like any typical teenager wanted a job to earn my own money. This year I will be celebrating my 13 years of employment with my healthcare organization. After the topics of being at the upper part of my pay scale and a degree would be required for professional advancement in leadership was mentioned during my annual performance review, the thought of going back to school came back to mind. In today’s job market jobs are difficult to find. The turnover rates on jobs are lower than usual. In order to support my passions in life, I have decided to return back to school, in spite of the obstacles that I will face, to improve myself worth, personal satisfaction, and gain a competitive edge in the job market. Earning a college degree has been a life-time goal of mine.
At 19 years of age I was living the everyday lifestyle of a young teenage mother.
By the age of 25 years I was a mother of three children. I attempted to enroll to a few vocational colleges to be either a respiratory therapist or to work in the administrative area within the healthcare organization; it just did not work out with the kid’s schedules. At the time I was not ready to change my lifestyle in order to pursue my degree. Over the years I have learned so much about parenting and early adulthood responsibilities. Today, I have grown into an independent and a much wiser adult. Here I am 20 years later, mother of three children, after a few attempts to going back to school to get a better education to increase the possibilities of getting a better high paying job to help financially support my family. My eldest child is now entering adulthood as a college student and the other two are at the age where they are more self-sufficient and independent than they were when I attempted to furthering my
education.

I finally took the advice and contacted enrollment advisor for Ashford University inquiring on the basics of enrolling in online courses. From the beginning of my telephone interview with the academic advisor I mentioned I would only be able to do online courses. My biggest concern and fear was meeting the financial requirements to go back to school. My fear was would I be able to afford it, would I have the time or would I afford the enrollment fees and the books? The feeling of butterflies in my stomach continued till the end of our telephone conversation. After just a few telephone calls and not too lengthy pushy conversations the Ashford University advisor pretty much was an excellent salesman, he sold me when he mentioned no payment would be required from me until six months after I graduate and earn my Bachelor’s Degree in Health Care Administration specializing in project management or if I decide not to complete my degree. From that moment I told myself there is no way I can financially afford paying back any type of school loans so it looks like I will be working hard to set strategies that I will use to overcome the obstacles in my lifestyle required to continue to pursue my degree.

I know I can achieve more in what life has to offer. The sky is the limit as long as we set our minds to achieving what we want. In receiving my recent promotion, I was advised of being at the upper part of my pay grade scale and a degree would be beneficial if inquire to move into a leadership role within the organization. Compared to other transplant coordinators within my company I get paid a decent salary considering not having a college degree. Working 13 years for the same employer not only shows dedication, you’re more likely to earn more money throughout your career with a college degree than if you have only a high school education. Sure, I can continue supporting my family of five doing what I do every day with my present job and make a decent living with the current wages I make hourly. If I continue to do so, I would not be able to put aside savings to send the kids to college. There are a few reasons why I choose to go back to school. The first one is self-worth and personal satisfaction. I would describe myself as a very competitive person. Earning a college degree has been a life time goal of mine. Achieving a college degree will be very satisfying and will personally make me feel valuable to my employer. The benefits of earning a college degree would make such a difference in my lifestyle today. One of the top reasons I am seeking to achieve a college degree is one to increase my earning potential. I have learned earning a college degree will make you more marketable with much greater range of lucrative career options.

Now that I have started my degree courses I have learned my previous way of life has differed to change for the better. With a degree behind you, it shows employers not only do you have the education, but you also worked through all your adversities and succeeded in getting your degree after years of hard work and dedication. By obtaining a profession with a higher paying salary, I will be able to provide a better way of living for my family. I will be able to take family vacations which we have not been able to do. It has been challenging with a total of five people in my family to make every day ends meet much less be able to take a family vacation.

There will be some challenging obstacles I will be facing before successfully completing my bachelor’s degree program at Ashford University. One of these challenges is procrastination. With already having a busy hectic schedule with work, school and kids it has been difficult to not procrastinate with school work. Entering my school assignments and due dates into my calendar, setting alerts on my phone has seem too been working very well. I continue to use a check off list in reference to my discussions. Doing homework with my high school teenagers really has been helpful with time management.

While some of the ways are way different in my previous lifestyle, the new stressful changes I seem to be dealing with more with the kids, it will pay off in the end and it will be all worth it. I continue to receive solid support at home. With the continued support from my husband and kids it gives me strength to bypass certain obstacles that stopped me in the past and to continue my goal of obtaining my college degree. I do still find myself in times of new challenges, but with my type of mindset today and determination I have the attitude of no one will get in my way. I truly believe I am the matured person and student today because of all the life experiences I have been through so far. I finally understand that the clock does not stop for me or anyone else on this earth. I am getting older by every tick of the clock. I have to do this for me, myself and I and for my children.

My personal mission is to inspire my children to always excel in what they do in life with passion and enthusiasm. I don’t want my children to follow in my footsteps, I want them to take the path next to me and go farther than I ever dreamt possible. I would like to act as an instrument of positive change and role model in my family and my work. I am so looking forward to the day when I can walk across the stage and receive my degree, the accomplishment of a lifetime.