Lorraine Phillips
"My Education"
My college journey began ten years ago, in 1998, when I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate high school. That fall I began attending a state college. My family was not in a position to provide financial help, so I applied for grants and loans and got a job. I was living at home and commuting to my classes five days a week. My home, school and job were in three different cities. At that time in my life, I was somewhat of a follower rather than a leader. I was attending school with my two best friends and decided to follow in their footsteps to be a pharmacist. My favorite subject had always been mathematics, and my least favorite was science. I was more interested in accounting than pharmaceuticals, but in the end, my desire to be with my friends won the battle. My adviser gave me a grueling schedule that included chemistry, chemistry lab, biology, biology lab, history, math and English. Some of my classes were so large that I had to sit in the back of a huge auditorium surrounded by a sea of students. Some of the teachers taught with a power point presentation and gave no individual help. I was expected to learn most of the material on my own or to use study groups. Between school and work, I was soon burnt out. For the first time in my life, I was in trouble in school. I started dropping classes one by one and ended up quitting school after only one semester.
I returned to my job full-time and spent several years focused on my career. I then took an accounting position where my boss insisted that I go back to school to help me in my job performance. I qualified for a grant and my boss paid the remaining balance for my school expenses. She even paid for my time spent in school. I began attending a local technical college. I took classes for an accounting degree. After I was promoted to office manager at work, I changed my major to business management instead. The small school atmosphere was nice. I enjoyed the intimate class setting and one-on-one help from the teachers. During my second semester, I decided to take an Intro to Computers class online. I enjoyed the online learning style even better that attending class in person. I also learned that I possessed the drive that it takes to work from home. My next online class was English 191. I passed that class with a final semester grade of 98.95. In 2003, after attending only three semesters of school, my increased workload and hours forced me to once again put my collegiate plans on hold.
In 2005, I began looking into attending an online college. I obtained information from several schools. When I found out that I was pregnant early in 2006, I decided that it would be very difficult to work a full-time job while attending school and being a first-time Mother. We also could not afford to pay for the educational expenses out of pocket and my boss was no longer willing to help me further my education. The plans for my education would have to wait once more. After the birth of my daughter, I decided to stay at home to raise her. When I quit my regular job, I was able to begin doing bookkeeping services as an independent contractor from my home. Working from home allows me to make a small income to help pay the bills, yet the flexibility allows me to work around my daughter’s schedule. Now that my daughter is getting close to two years old, I feel that this is the right time for me to focus on my education.
I was gathering information on my local technical college, as well as online schools, when I found the "Project Working Mom: Putting Learning to Work" scholarship awards program. I believe that this is no coincidence. I have been trying to figure out a way to get the education that I desire and deserve, and here is this wonderful opportunity which has been presented to me. I believe that I would be the perfect candidate to receive an on line scholarship for several reasons. I am a self-employed Mother that has the discipline, drive and determination to complete online classes. This is proven by my 4.0 GPA which includes online courses which I have previously passed. The last semester of school I attended was fall 2003, and if my credits are transferable, I will have a jump start at my new school. I have experience with and prefer online courses to traditional classes. Being self-employed, I have the freedom to work at my leisure and online classes would easily fit into my schedule.
I come from a family that has always struggled in life just to make ends meat. I saw how my Mother and Father worked hard, physical labor just to pay the bills and it broke my heart. I decided at a young age that I would rather use my brains than brawn to make a living. I always took my education seriously and remained an honor student throughout my elementary, middle and high school years. My hard work paid off when my Grandparents rewarded me with the opportunity to be an exchange student in Brazil for my first semester of high school. Being the first person in my family to graduate high school was my childhood goal and I achieved it with flying colors. My next goal was set to graduate college with a degree in business management, and I believe that your program is designed to pave a way for dreams like this to come true.
Getting a college education is very important to me. I want to enable myself to have a career that pays enough money that my family can live a better, more comfortable lifestyle than that which was afforded to me as a child. A bachelor’s degree in business management would allow me to obtain a high paying job in almost any field of my choice. I have previous experience in this field and I enjoy the work. My ultimate career goal is to run a successful business with my husband where I handle all of the management responsibilities while he runs the daily activities. Until I reach that goal, I would like to be able to have a wide variety of employment opportunities to choose from. Having my college education will help to make my dreams become a reality. I am a daughter, a sister, a mother and a wife. As far as education is concerned, I want to be a good example for all of my family members. I want my daughter to look at my accomplishments and know that she can do even bigger and better things. I want her to reach for the stars and never stop trying to achieve her goals. Earning a college degree has always been my dream, and I am still trying to reach it. Now, with help from a program like yours, I just might be the first person in my family to graduate college.