Your Turn to Learn

In 1974 I was a high school senior. In those days, women did well to graduate from high school, marry young, become a stay-at-home wife, and then a mother. Most girls I knew did not attend college at all. I loved school and learning new things. No one else in my family had graduated from high school, much less college. My father decided that since I liked school so much, I should be the one to have the formal education in the family!

I graduated from high school at mid-term and began attending Midwestern Business College in 1974. I married in 1975, and by 1976, I was expecting our first child. My husband was in the US Army, and we relocated frequently. I was not able to finish the business degree I started in 1974.

Over the next few years I had 3 more children and loved being a stay-at-home mother. I did not want my children raised by someone else and with four young children, day care would have cost me more than what I could earn with little college or work experience! I was not thinking about college at that time; I was enjoying motherhood.

As my children grew older and were all in primary school, I began looking for daytime work. The best option for me at that time was working in restaurants. The job was not difficult, but there were no benefits, no sick days, no retirement, no holidays, no overtime.

While applying for jobs, I found that the better ones required some college and paid a great deal more than others. In 1985 I separated from my husband, had four small children and very little income. I was not receiving child support or alimony and my current income was not enough. I was forced to make a difficult decision: move and start over or stay in an abusive situation. I took a few meager belongings and my four small children (ages eight, six, five and three at that time) and moved to another state. A friend of the family provided some assistance until I found a place to live. At that time I had no funds and was forced to live in public housing.

I looked for a job and applied for government assistance. One of my case workers mentioned a program the state funded where a grant would pay for two years of college education provided I met the requirements. The program enabled me to return to college and complete my associates degree. I changed majors from business to computer technology after I discovered I had an affinity for computers.

I attended college during the daytime while my children were in school. One of the college faculty members sponsored me for an additional grant and the work-study program. With these additional resources, I was able to move out of the public housing and rent a small house for me and my children. At that time I had no transportation and was having to walk to and from the college. What motivated me was knowing that a college education would allow me to get a better paying job with benefits and better care for my children. I also wanted to set a good example for the children, showing them that hard work would make all our lives better (and it has).

Initially I attended Midwestern Business College from 1974 to 1975 in Colorado Springs. My major was Business Merchandising. When I returned to college in 1987, I changed majors to Computer Technology and graduated from Chattahoochee Valley State Community College in Phenix City, Alabama. My intent was to transfer to Troy State University. I again wanted to pursue the business management degree. I transferred, but I found that TSU would not accept all my credits from CVCC if I changed majors again. I began looking for other alternatives and found the University of Phoenix accepted most of my credits, so I did not have to start over completely. I still have a several classes left to complete the course requirements for the business degree.

While attending CVCC and just prior to graduation, I learned about a part-time job with Mead Coated Board, Inc. The company had just opened an office in Columbus, Georgia, in 1988. One of my fellow students said it was a golden opportunity for me and provided details. I submitted my resume, received an interview, and applied for the job in October of 1988. To my dismay, the job was filled by another employee who relocated there. I requested that my resume be retained in the event of any further opportunities. A month later I received a phone call and an offer of a different job, which I accepted. At that time I was just finishing my degree, working at the college part-time, and doing a part-time job on weekends as well as raising four children alone. I was a very busy and very tired woman.