Cindy Jagassar
Why Obtaining my Degree is Important to Me
My name is Cindy Respass, I was born in Trinidad and Tobago, the West Indies. When I was about three years old, after several unsuccessful attempts to fix my cleft palate my mom decided to bring me to the United States of America!
Before I go on, let me explain what this is, the Cleft lip and palate are two separate but related conditions which can occur together. A cleft is a gap or split which can affect one or both sides of the upper lip and usually extends to the base of the nose. A cleft palate is a gap in the roof of the mouth that connects the mouth directly with the nasal cavity.
I had both Cleft lip and Palate. My mother's goal was to get my Cleft Palate fixed no matter what the sacrifice. After a few persistent months and doctors visits I was able to have surgery at Livingston General Hospital. I had years of rehabilitation. While learning to function as a normal child I had to also learn about my new environment.
My illness caused many difficulties before and after surgery. I had problems with my speech and language, dental problems, ear and hearing problems, distorted facial features, teasing and being laughed at by kids my own age and a lack of self-esteem. But I persevered.
At the age of fifteen years and nine months, my mom died of cancer and I was left on my own. Therefore I had to live on my own. I was lucky enough to get a full scholarship to attend an all girls Catholic school, Mount De Sales. I attend there for one and a half years. I attended school and worked part-time at a clothing store. After explaining that I had no residence, I was able to stay in the home of a friend that went to school with me. I stayed there for about a year and made monetary contributions to the household. My stay was not long around this time I was about sixteen and a half. I established good relationships with my co-workers and managers, who of course was much older than I.
In distress I spoke to my assistant manager Michele and she was kind enough to take me in as a second roommate. I had to contribute to the household bills at a larger level and I was responsible for buying my own food. By this time I needed to work more and there just wasn't enough time for me to finish school, so I dropped out.
I worked three jobs, and at the age of seventeen I was in a relationship and ended up pregnant. My living situations change again, because now I was not welcomed if I was pregnant. So my travels began again. This time I was able to embellish on my age and rent an efficiency apartment for myself.
In the meantime, my daughter's father was older than me but still young at heart and so I did not get sufficient support from him. As time went on I continued to work and was able to survive just enough to say I made it today. I had no time to think about tomorrow, making it through the end of the day for me was a great accomplishment.
After many years of prayer and struggle I am now married to a very supportive and devoted husband, and wouldn't you know it; It's the same man that was young at heart and could not support me or his daughter! My husband and I did our growing up together, we were both young and did not know anything about compromise, marriage or parenthood, but we persevered and after thirteen years of being together, ten of those years married, we are still learning each other and supporting each other in our individual goals and common goals as a family.
I have two daughters, ages ten and fourteen who are charismatic, with humble hearts! God's love for me and the compassion from others has brought me a long way, without this I cant begin to imagine what my life could have been. I've been through so many obstacles, from almost being homeless many times to getting out of an abusive relationship. Survival was key to my success during that time but when looking back at all of this, God, perseverance and determination was and is the key to my success.
Some say my schedule is very busy, because I'm a wife and mommy, a full-time student and employee; I say it's all in your scheduling! I am Vice President of my chapter sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. I graduated June 24, 2007 with a 3.2 GPA and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management. I am currently employed with IBM, going into my twelfth year. I am a contracts administrator working on the IBM/DHR contract since 1998. I've received several awards so far in my career. My work experience has accumulated immensely over the years and I think all of the hands-on experiences I've received on my job will allow me to use my academic knowledge to the fullest.
My objectives are to fulfill my purpose given to me, a clear vision to a career path that I plan on accomplishing. I would like to earn my Master's in Clinical Psychology or in some kind of counseling environment and eventually my doctoral degree in the same field. I understand that coming from a different academic background with the expectation of changing career fields causes this to be a very difficult decision for you to make, however as rigorous as this program may be, I am not a quitter.
I am very determined no matter what the obstacles to go after my academic and career goals. My education is very important to me. I love to learn. I believe that furthering my studies and getting academic recognition will carry me further when I apply my life experiences to my ultimate goal of having a successful career and in the long run to be able to make a difference in the lives of many individuals.
I have great compassion and the drive to help others. Through out my years I've learned from all my experiences and am thankful for the help while growing up. It is not only my passion to help those who I once was but my duty to society. What I've tried to achieve by my actions and hope people will remember the most about me would be my determination to be the best I can be, my optimistic attitude, and my love for my family and humanity. I am asking you to not only make your decision based on what is on paper, but to factor in my life experiences and determination to make a difference in our society. To take in consideration all I've spoken about in this letter and see me as not just an applicant but as an individual who can take all these experiences and turn them into something positive, eventually making a difference in many lives.