Lexa Montierth
I was raised with four brothers and no sisters. It seemed to me that I always had a silent competition going on with my brothers about which of us was better doing this or that. If my brothers were participating I felt I needed to try it, and do it better. I rarely succeed at the "better" part, but I did learn many skills that my female counterparts at the time were not interested in learning, such as computers and electronics. My brothers have all gone to college and ended up in successful careers. This is where I took a different turn in life, because I chose to be a stay at home mother instead.
When I was born, neither parent had a college degree. My father was a construction superintendent and my mother was a stay at home mom. My father struggled to compete in the workforce without a college degree and was often overlooked in job opportunities because of the lack of one.
In 1990, when I was twelve-years-old, my father (then 42) went back to college and received his Bachelor's of Science Degree in Management. From that time forward, he has been able to double his salary and find more opportunities in his line of work.
My mother was never able to go back to college, and found herself in a predicament when she wanted to head into the job force after raising the children. She found it near impossible to find a job that she had the necessary skills for.
As I watched her struggle to find a career, and obtain employment, being a college graduate has become more important to me. My children rely on me to provide a quality of life that includes helping them develop to their full potential. If it were necessary to completely support them on my own, I wouldn't have the skills necessary to obtain employment beyond minimum wage pay.
In 1996, I graduated from high school, and started attending the local community college. I had a love of music, business, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. I enjoyed watching people and seeing how they interacted, and was often the friend who others came to for advice. I decided to pursue a degree in psychology at that time because I believed I could help others with their problems. As part of my fee for tuition, I took a part-time job in the campus media center helping others on the computers and teaching them the various software programs such as Word and Excel, and how to use the Internet. I enjoyed the window of the world opened by the Internet, and found myself not only visiting the various sites, but also learning how to create them.
I created my first personal Web site in late 1996 and enjoyed having my own little piece of the web, so to speak. To play with HTML and to teach myself HTML code was a fun hobby and past time. I would view source code of my favorite Web sites of the time, and try and duplicate sites that mimicked the style.
I was married in 1997, and had my first child at the end of 1998. Finances were tight, and I decided it was better for me to stay at home with our child instead of trying to pursue my education at the time. I was unsure of my degree of choice, and felt it better to wait to know what I wanted to do with my life.
In 2000, we were blessed with another child, and my husband entered into a law enforcement academy the same week. We moved across state and I met many other mothers in our new residence. I was surprised how many of them had degrees and careers while balancing motherhood. Even those who were no longer working had the education and skills necessary that if they needed to work, they could find a job. For the first time, I really started wondering what I would do if something would happen to my husband. Working in law enforcement, the possibility of me becoming a widow or divorced greatly increased above the average.
I went back to see if I could develop my computer skills and realized the years I had been away from the Internet had put me at a disadvantage. Programs such as Dreamweaver had replaced the need to write HTML from scratch, and individual Web sites could be created in minutes with online site wizards. My skills in word processing, 10-key, and spreadsheets that was in demand in 1996 was now filled by every high school graduate.
I was thankful that there wasn't an immediate need for me to go to work, and decided I needed to get my degree and head back to school. I signed up at the local community college, got a schedule and prepared for the first day of class. The reality was college was still very expensive and child care was difficult to find for two young children. My husband's career choice had left me with an unpredictable schedule, because of rotating shifts and days off. If I were to head back to school, I would have to have a flexible schedule. I decided to put off school once again until I could solve the time restraints.
We welcomed two more children into our lives, and I tried to learn what I could online and on my own. I continued having a nagging feeling that I needed to head back to school and obtain an education, but time and money continued to be the main obstacle holding me back.
In 2006, with the cost of living rising, we realized that I needed to bring in extra income. I attended Real Estate School and became a Realtor®. I enjoyed helping people, but the housing market took a turn for the worst, and as a developing real estate agent I found I was spending more money than I ever would have come back in. I had created my own Web site to advertise, and those who saw it were impressed and wanted me to create one for their businesses. I didn't feel that I had enough knowledge to create what people really wanted from their Web sites, and declined.
Looking over the past, I realize that the constant in my life always comes back to the Internet. I have tried to learn more about creating Web sites on my own, but technology seems to take giant leaps as I learn in baby steps. I still look at source code and try and mimic Web sites. I have creative ideas, but without the knowledge of how to implement them it has been frustrating.
With four children, I constantly worry that without an education, I will not be able to support them or to bring in any extra income. Traditional universities still pose a problem with my schedule because of my husband's job schedule restraints and detail positions he fills in various parts of the United States. Three of my four children are now in school full time, with the littlest attending preschool now.
I realize that I need an education, but the time constraints of meeting four young children's schedules and my husbands work schedule makes it near impossible to head back to a college campus. Online education is an answer to both obtaining my degree and not having to sacrifice being away from my children to attend classes.
I do not want to waste the opportunity I have now to obtain my education, and then possibly end up in a situation where I cannot provide for my family. Like many Americans, our budget is stretched and one emergency situation could put us over the edge. I believe if I had the knowledge necessary to obtain a higher paying job, I could save for my children's future, and for my retirement.