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Fall 2002

Perhaps you’re a parent wondering how you are going to juggle college?

Melissa can offer some encouragement! Melissa McMahon is a wife and mother of three children, ages 11, 8 and 6. Her family transfers to different areas of the country as a result of her husband’s work, so this requires that she be flexible and able to adjust to new surroundings quickly. It has also posed a challenge where her college education is concerned. When a transfer is on the horizon, she immediately gets into gear planning and looking for a nearby university so that she can continue her schooling.

When her family moved to Georgia in 1999, Melissa decided to attend KSU and declared her major in Psychology. In addition to juggling the balls of wife, mother, and student; Melissa is also a freelance artist and an avid runner. With so much to manage, she attributes her progress in school to being organized, patient, and determined. Her greatest challenge has been finding times to study. Melissa says with a chuckle, “Sure enough, if you leave everything to the last minute, the night before the test, somebody’s puking or pooping...it happens that way every time, God has a real funny sense of humor.” So, she plans ahead and tries to spend time studying late in the evening, after her children have gone to bed.

Melissa hasn’t exactly had an easy go of it, financially speaking, but that has not stopped her from moving forward. Her independent spirit along with being a self-starter has enabled her to find ways to make it work. By scraping and padding her grocery allowance, she has been able to pay for her classes each semester. There was one semester where she found herself really distraught over how she was going to pay for her classes. She commented with determination, “I cannot not go to college, I will not have somebody tell me I can’t go, I will not be financially held hostage.” She stopped by the LLC to see Valerie, the director of the LLC, and after explaining her dilemma, she said, “I need a job, I need some money.” That conversation led to her being hired on as a student assistant in the LLC. From there, she worked out the snags and moved on.

Melissa has attended college on and off for the last ten years and as mentioned above, it has not been an easy journey for her. Her inspiration has been her children. She always wants to be able to support her children. When asked to sum up how she has managed over the years, she said, “There is nothing special or extraordinary about me other than I found a way, not any different from any other stay-at-home mom, you just got to take baby steps; if you can only take one class, that’s OK…it maybe slower than you want, but you just have to be patient.”

She is graduating from KSU in July 2002 and she feels relieved, excited and happy. She loves going to school and learning because it makes her feel young and proactive. She is going to take a short break and continue on to graduate school. Her greatest memory is sitting at the table in the LLC with her fellow student assistants and a few of the LLC regulars just laughing and feeling free.

To fellow mothers, her words are, “Even though we don’t have childcare on campus at KSU, we try to make it an optimum environment.” She sums up her interview by saying, “Not a single person in here (the LLC) doesn’t have a story about pain, some of the stories are about leaving a country that was holding them back or that was dangerous…everyone has a story and there are some good stories in here.”

Are you an older student wondering how to succeed in college?

Meet fellow student, Ms. Pat Richards. Pat successfully raised five children as a single mother (all of whom attended college), and two grandchildren. She eventually came to a point where she wondered what to take on next. She spoke to a trusted friend that encouraged her by saying, “...if you can raise five children by yourself and they are as successful as they are, you can do anything that you want to do.” With those positive words and a suggestion to go to school, Pat began her educational journey at the age of 62. She’s faced several health challenges including knee replacement on both legs and back surgery, but she says, “I’ve got to get that BS degree in Human Services.”

Pat has always enjoyed working with children. She spent several years working in the Marietta school system. From the time she started at Kennesaw State University she knew that she wanted to major in Human Services. She had helped kids for quite some time and knew that a degree would give her what she needed to reach her goal. Pat is a person that loves helping people, but her heart’s desire lies in serving as an advocate for children in the prison system. After graduation, she plans to serve in that capacity. When Pat was asked to share some comments about her journey thus far, she replied, “Everyone has been so nice to me. I received a letter from Dr. Siegel saying that they were glad for me to come into the college.” She gives praise to the many professors that have taken a special interest in providing the needed support for her classes. She mentioned a Math professor that carried her through all of the entry-level math courses. She spoke of another professor that helped her get through Statistics.

“Great professors and great friends were key to getting this far,” said Pat. One resource that she praised above all others was the Lifelong Learning Center and its Director, Valerie Jersey. In Pat’s words, “If I had not connected with the Lifelong Learning Center and met Valerie, I don’t think that I would have made it as far as I have. I think that the Lifelong Learning Center is the backbone for all nontraditional students.” There are times when Pat just needed someone to listen, to talk with, even to cry with and she found the comfort and support she needed in the LLC.

Pat will be graduating in the spring of 2003. She is currently taking four classes this summer and is planning to take four classes during the fall semester. In Pat’s opinion, education is one of the most important things in anyone’s life. Her two grandchildren attend KSU along with her. She will be taking her advanced internship here at the Senior CAREing Center for KSU. Pat summed up her feelings well when she concluded by saying, “You are never too old to learn...nothing is going to keep me from making it, then I am going to celebrate and have the biggest party of my life.”

Maybe your story includes a layoff from your job...how about enrolling full-time?

Deborah Wallace has undergone two layoffs in the last four years; once in 1998 and another last year. She had been attending KSU part-time, but after being laid off in 2001, she decided to attend full-time. Completing her college education has been her goal for years.

She started at KSU in 1996 after transferring from Los Angeles City College in California where she was certified as a paralegal. Upon moving here, she pursued her interest in Psychology, but after deciding that she wanted more hands on experience, she declared her major in Human Services.

Deborah has been married for 23 years and has a daughter attending the University of Tennessee. In addition to being a wife, mother and student, Deborah has worked with adolescents as a youth minister since 1984. She spends three to four times a week involved in her church activities. She also serves as a mentor to an eleven year old at Devereux Georgia Treatment Network. Her schedule is packed and she is able to get it all done due to the loving support of her husband.

Up to this time, Deborah has not taken advantage of the many opportunities available to her through the LLC. “Making the transition is hard, it’s extremely difficult”, says Deborah, “but now that I am aware of the support and services available, my face will be known.”

Deborah’s ultimate goal is to work with teenagers and their mothers. “I will probably end up in family counseling somewhere with a concentration on adolescents...that is what I will probably die doing.” She looks forward to graduating in the fall of 2003. When asked about the challenges that she has faced along the way, she said, “The sacrifices, the struggles, the upheavals...I wouldn’t turn back the hands of time.”

Deborah is an inspiration to all who have experienced an economic crisis. It is not easy, but she continues to pursue her learning goals. In an effort to encourage others in a similar situation, Deborah says, “Start off slow, take one class and see how it feels, put that class on and wear it for a semester...don’t become overwhelmed or anxious, take it one class at a time, one semester at a time, one year at a time until you feel your comfort zone.”