birds of a feather: USU

My college experience was anything but traditional. But it was an experience of a life time. One I had dreamed about but never really thought I would do. I often thought if I did go to college... would I be brave enough? Would I be smart enough?

I had five room mates when I unexpectedly entered the college scene. Room mates that were totally dependent on me... ages 4 to 14. I was a single mother to five of the best children I thought a mother could ever have.

As I started my journey in academics, I was overwhelmed, somewhat frightened and intimidated. Oddly enough, I was also excited as if I were a young girl just out of high school learning to spread her wings.

College was a new adventure for me. I embraced it, but not without obstacles.

Life was forever changed. I had to really want this! I had to be brave! I would be the sole parent in the rearing of my children. I would have to juggle motherly duties, finances, class schedules, homework, home management, extra curricular activities, and other anticipated and unexpected responsibilities, activities, and events that would surely present themselves.

As a new divorcee, life presented only two choices for me. (1) Feel sorry for myself for the rest of my life and struggle to make ends meet, or (2) take a leap of faith and do hard things that would require commitment and determination in order to provide for my children and improve our circumstances.

I chose to take the hard road, and I can say it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

My college days started out a Junior college in my hometown. And it proved to be just what I needed. My entrance exam told the real picture of where I was academically. I needed basic refresher courses in math to catch up to current standards. I did it! One course at at time.

I adopted a quote from Winnie the Pooh that says it best.

After a year of catching up academically, I was ready to transfer to a BIG college. I went back to my roots, again. To the place where I was born. Where my father began his college career... Utah State University. The kids and I packed up and moved 200 miles north and settled into the beautiful community of Logan, Utah, where we continued the adventures of a new life.

Even though I was not the typical age of college students, being slightly older had its advantages and I continued to learn things about myself that I never knew. I made friends easily, both young and old alike. I grew in confidence with each assignment tackled and every test I passed.

The results on my Secondary Education Entrance Exam let me know I was where I belonged. The test was held in a large auditorium that held up to 500 students. We were given just one question to answer. In essay form. To paraphrase:

Tell about an experience you had in school and what you learned from it.

I had prepared myself mentally for this day, but was not prepared for what followed. As I sat there, among hundreds of other students, yet all alone... I gathered my thoughts together and mustered the courage to put pen to paper and write. I would write about what could have been a very humiliating experience for a young Jr. High School girl in a Home Economics class, yet wasn't... thanks to a kind and thoughtful teacher.

"We were given a sewing project to make a jumper. Mom took me shopping for a pattern and some fabric. I took it to class, cut my pattern pieces out and layed them out, pinning them to the fabric. In dress patterns, there are solid lines across the body part for hem adjusting. Not thinking, I cut my fabric on the first solid line.Talk about mini skirt. It was more than mini... it was shirt length. I felt so embarrassed. Rather than make an example out of me to the other girls, my teacher kindly took me aside and talked me through ways to fix the mistake. We came up with a plan privately and I continued to sew my jumper. There was an unusual seam line in it... that only myself and my teacher knew about. No one else on the planet did. That jumper became one of my favorite dresses."

Of course, the essay was a 2 1/2 hour long test and much more detail went into writing about the experience. But I got through it. And with flying colors!

A week following the test, I was walking down the hall of the Family Life Building, going to my next class when one of my professors walked by with a smile on her face and said "congratulations Carol!". Ok. I thought. For what? I kindly acknowledged her congrats and continued to walk to class so I wouldn't be late. Yet another professor, with a smile on her face, met me at the classroom room door, said "congratulations Carol!". Hummm.... I thought again, and asked "what am I being congratulated for?"

"You received a "Distinction" on your Secondary Education Entrance Exam!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means you received the highest score on the test, and all other essays were graded off of yours. You are only one of two students, from the College of Family Life, to ever receive that mark!"

That day, and all the days after... I really did come to know that I was braver than I believed, stronger than I seemed, and smarter than I ever thought!