Chris
My fifth grade teacher told my parents
that if I was ever going to succeed, I needed to stop being such a
social butterfly. Against her advice, I continued putting my social life
first. Needless to say, I did very poorly in high school and dropped out
during the second semester of my senior year. This put a pretty larger
damper on my college dreams.
My dreams were rekindled when Dr. Collins passed me my bundle of joy. In
her eyes I saw my future and I knew I needed to get back into school. I
received my G.E.D. and my high school diploma but did not get accepted
to the University of Maine at Orono. All hope was not lost however
because the admissions office pointed me in the direction of the Onward
Program.
Once accepted, I put my heart soul into
being the best student I could be while remaining the best mother I
could be. The Onward staff helped me through the harder times of the
last two years. Although I continued to do well in college, my personal
life was crumbling. Eric Chapman was my academic advisor but he did so
much more for me than help me plan my schedule. My peer advisor Lisa
Scheetz, deserves much of my credit for my still being here. She helped
me academically and personally in all ways possible. When my life became
so messy that she could no longer help me herself, she got me the help I
needed. Most important to me and whom I hold dearest to my heart in the
Onward Program is Jerry Ellis. He is the one who allowed me to enter the
program in the first place. He is also my constant inspiration. When the
days that I want to give up fall upon me, I see his face and his
encouragement. When I am tired but know I have one more chapter to read,
it is his voice that I hear telling me to go on. He has helped change me
from the quitter I was to the fighter I am today.
There are many accomplishments that I
am proud of but first and foremost is my daughter. She got me to apply
myself to make both of our lives better. On an academic basis though, I
am proud of my 3.0 GPA especially when considering where I came from
academically, my Dawn Allenwood Scholarship, and the Onward Grants I
have received. I am so very proud to give back to this program by being
a peer advisor for the Onward Program. It fills me with a satisfaction
that I cannot put into words.
Although I am currently working on my
BA for social work, I plan to continue on and get my MSW. I would like
to work with pregnant teens or troubled teens and eventually I would
like to settle down, until my retirement, in the director's chair of
Onward.
College will forever make my life
better and make me personally stronger. It is the Onward Program though
that has instilled in me a stronger set of values and, for the first
time in my life, self-esteem. My family and friends, who watched me
flush my life down the toilet, will be able to see me earn my degree and
tell stories of my accomplishments. I will be forever grateful to all
the staff at Onward and for giving me the chance to shine when I had put
myself in darkness for so long.
