Narrative Essay

RETURNING TO SCHOOL Page 1

Returning To School
Shannon L. Stevens
ENG121: English Composition I
Instructor: Clinton Edwards
1/21/2013

RETURNING TO SCHOOL Page 2

Becoming a mother at a young age was very stressful at times. I wanted to continue my education but it was hard being a single mother. So returning to school was a must for me, but the question was when? Returning to school was a struggle, but eventually I got on the right mind frame and became focused after getting my daughter more than half way through school herself. Now I am attending school. I just want to share with you briefly the journey it took for me to return. Between the years of 1997 when my daughter was born and 2002, we struggled to make ends meet so I had to work two jobs just to take care of my daughter. My mother watched her as much as she could and when she couldn’t I tried to pay a baby sitter. So in order to pay the bills and have a place to live there was no time for an education for mommy. And at the time I really don’t think I cared. However in 2001 I and my mother discussed me returning to school when my daughter started kindergarten in the fall of 2002. I told her I would consider it if she would babysit. We never discussed it again. November 2002 my mother got into a serious life battling car accident that put her into a coma for a month in a half. It turned my world upside down. My whole life went numb, and I felt as if I was watching a lifetime movie and I was in it. She was never the same, short-term memory loss, incompetent, and never walked again. My mother struggled for 5 years and finally passed in 2007. Those 5 years were the worst years of my life to see her struggle. But at the same time I was relieved that she didn’t have to anymore. RETURNING TO SCHOOL Page 3 Early 2008, I and my sisters discussed me returning to school and I told them if I was to return it would have to be at home online because it’s more convenient for me. So I set myself a goal and told myself that when my daughter starts high school I will start my research on finding a good accredited college to attend online and possibly go for my associates. But as my daughter struggled in school and wasn’t doing well in certain areas I felt once again that I would have to put my goals/dreams on hold and focus on her. Because unlike me, I wanted her to learn from my mistakes and further her education at the right time and not prolong anything like I did. By my daughter’s sophomore year in high school, she started to inspire me more to return to school. She was getting interested in going to college herself and would ask me if and when I would ever attend college as well. She motivated me to put my goals back on the table again and take another step forward. Then in 2012, Ironically Ashford University called my sister who already attends college elsewhere and asked her question about attending their college. She replied, “no, but I can refer you to someone who might be interested.” That phone call changed my life and is still changing it now. My mother and daughter really have inspired me to further my education. And I think my mother passing was a big eye opener for me to step out of my shell and explore my opportunities. As for my daughter, she more or less confirmed it and gave me the okay in “Returning to school”. It took me 15 years to do it, now I just have to keep it going.

References:
https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG121.10.2/sections/sec5.5

References: https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG121.10.2/sections/sec5.5