Obdulia Gutierrez
The Importance to Better my Family and my Self
It is very important to me as a mom to get a degree. Getting a degree can open many paths in life that can help me to help my family. I have been working since I was seventeen and a half years old, and if I do not try something to help me reach my goals I will keep working until I retire.
I do not want to waste my life getting a twenty-five cent raise every year for 45 years until retirement. I want to become a Dental Assistant and not just a company manager at a retail store.
Without a degree I cannot become a Dental Assistant. I want to get at least an associate's degree because I know this way I can get out of minimum wage. It has been hard for me to go to school. I joined the ARMY National Guard to help others and help myself. I had signed up for Le Cordon Bleu the school of culinary arts because I wanted to receive an associate's degree. School started on August 2006 and about three weeks before I had a date to leave to the state of Missouri for ARMY training.
Two days before I left to Missouri the professor called me to tell me he would not save my seat in class if I came back late from training. This is against the law because I was serving for the U.S. and it was my duty to leave. I could have taken this professor to court because my recruiter was telling me too, but I decided not to do it. I called the school as soon as I got back and left messages after messages and they never ever called me back. I was disappointed in that school.
I am currently working in the same retail store as co. manager for two years. I was a sales associate and I got promoted to part-time assistant manager in November of 2006. I was working for a salary of $7.75 and I did not realize minimum wage was going up to $7.50.
I had twice the responsibility of a sales associates getting the same amount as they were. My heart broke into pieces when the store I was working was closed down. The full-time and I were relocated to the only openings 30 minutes away from our home. Half of my paycheck was gasoline money to get to and from work. I cried and cried until finally I got promoted to co. manager and I was still trying to find another job other than the ARMY. I am still looking for a better paying job but it is so hard.
Three months ago I had a baby girl and I was Honorably discharged of the ARMY. I had high blood pressure and I needed to be submitted to emergency to the hospital to deliver my baby early at 34 weeks of pregnancy. My baby Miah was in the incubator for one month.
When she was discharged from the hospital she came out with a monitor that alarms every time she forgets to breathe. Up until now I still blame my job as well as my self for working on my feet eight hours a day five days a week for a little over minimum wage.
I need a degree I want it and I will do anything to reach my goal to become a Dental Assistant. The only thing that was stopping me from getting any further than a retail store was money that I needed to pay for school. Finally I came across this wonderful program that has brought light into my life. I was hoping one day to receive tuition assistance to go to school and I will be wishing and praying to get help.
Please I want to give my baby what she deserves and what my parents could never give me. I want to be successful so one day when I have more children I can send them to school without big financial problems. I want to learn and online school can really help me a lot specially with my little beautiful baby girl. I will be waiting and I am confident I will receive help from this wonderful program.