I have spent my whole life having people tell me I won’t amount to anything. From an early age, I was told I was too dumb to do anything and I believed that. I held onto that throughout my whole life. In school, I never fought to get good grades because what was the point? I was too dumb. So why bother?
I don’t remember much of my education in elementary. I come from a broken home so learning was never important to me. I never had a role model. I had to do what I needed for myself. When it was time for me to go to high school, I found it very difficult to concentrate because of what was happening at home. I was never into school. I felt I was wasting my time and the teacher’s time. I was just a student filling a seat that someone else could have used.
My parents never gave me any feedback about how important it was for me to have an education. I was all alone at a school I really never wanted to be at but, on the other hand, school was a safe haven for me. The troubles at home were too much for me to deal with, and riding on that bus was like saying goodbye to that.
I have found it hard to keep on track on my studies. I spent a lot of time focusing on other things rather than my school work. I was sent to a Special Education school. I wasn’t happy there either. The teachers weren’t really helpful, and again I was alone. At 15, I had to quit because I was having a baby. I never went back because I wasn’t ready.
After 25 years, I’ve decided to go further with my education, I was uncertain as to where I was going and how I was going to get there. I started at Dartmouth Works Activity and I’d applied for NSCC. I felt my chances of getting in were slim. I never finished high school so I had no credits to back me up. Was I ready to deal with the pressures of college?
Out of eleven children in my family, no one has ever passed Grade 10, let alone graduate from college. How was I going to deal with this? Was I smart enough? I knew nothing of Science, Math, Communication, or Computers. What was I getting myself into? I have never wanted anything so badly. My education was what I was fighting for.
After five months as a Level 3 student in the ALP program at NSCC Waterfront, I am able to look at myself proudly for what I’ve achieved. I have completed all my assignments, and I am doing extremely well in all my courses. My teachers are impressed with my work and I expect to be in Level 4 in September. I have come so far and I am glad I allowed myself to come back to school. Anything is possible if you put your heart and soul into it. To all the people who told me I couldn’t do it, I definitely can!