Please tell Back to School Divas a little bit about yourself and your back to school story. What made you go back to school? What makes your back to school experience unique?

I’ve been toying with going back to school for the last 10 years. I never went to college and gained on-the-job training as a Veterinary Technician over the last 16 years, working my way from kennel assistant to Emergency/Critical Care technician. I found the job to be toxic and unfulfilling but couldn’t even fathom going to college after being out of high school for almost 20 years already! I am now 35 years old, have two children (10 years and 10 months), starting college from SCRATCH, and left the veterinary field to pursue my degree in social work with a special focus on substance abuse.

Has your back to school experience been a smooth journey? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

It most definitely hasn’t been smooth, as I have deeply ingrained inconsistency issues I am currently working through. Staying focused in school and being present for my family has been difficult but I am determined to complete my degree requirements. I know it will all be worth it once I graduate and have an opportunity to go into the career field I desire!

Tell us about some time management, study, or money-saving tips that helped you make it to where you are in your journey.

Taking full advantage of my son’s nap schedule and utilizing my partners helps as much as possible. Not asking for help has been the hardest habit to break, but now I am realizing how much of the weight is lifted when I do! I use binaural beats to study/read because it helps keep me focused, especially with my family being home and living in an apartment. It drowns out the background noise while also helping me to concentrate. I save any extra financial aid for the next semester so I am not too worried about out-of-pocket costs and I also stopped ordering out so frequently and make every attempt to eat all meals at home.

Tell us about your career goals. What do you plan to do with your degree once you finish?

I plan to work within a juvenile correction facility to assist youth in seeing that they have self-worth and options available to be successful and stay out of the system and reach their full potential.

If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?

I wouldn’t have done anything differently at all because every single experience (good, bad, and indifferent) has to lead me right here in this beautiful moment.

The heart of our mission is to encourage other women on their back to school journeys. The goal of Featured Diva is to celebrate women who are making their academic dreams come true in hopes that other women will find encouragement to strive toward their goals.