Wendy Attama grew up in the Charlottetown and still lives there with her husband and 21 year old daughter. She has a 24 year old son who lives in Calgary.

Wendy left school only three weeks into Grade 10. She says she hated Junior High and by Grade 9 she was in the general program. She can't remember all the reasons why but she says at that time she didn't think school was important. She was more interested in hanging out with friends than studying and going to class.

Three weeks into Grade 10 her sister's daughter got really sick and had to be hospitalized for a month in Halifax. Wendy went with her sister and was out of school for a month. When she returned, she felt she was too far behind to catch up and so she quit and went to work in a café. Later on she worked in a factory doing piece work.

For years she had it in the back of her mind to go back to school. She took night courses a few times but never liked it and just didn't want to be there. During the last five years this desire to go back to school has been present every day. In October 2008, she was finally finished waiting and registered at Holland College. "Getting the courage up to go back to school is one of the milestones of my life, along with getting married and becoming a mother."

"I love school now!" she says with enthusiasm. "I'm learning new things, meeting new people, and the teachers are so helpful. I've just finished reading my third novel" Wendy talked about not being interested in books before. She would come across a word she didn't know, become disinterested and put the book down. Now she looks the word up in a dictionary and keeps reading. She really enjoys mystery novels.

With her new confidence and new outlook on life, she has hope that she will get her GED this spring. She wants to learn more about computers and get a job working in an office.

She says "It's exciting learning things that you thought you couldn't possibly learn about. It makes you want to do and learn more. I would tell anyone who is thinking of going back to school to go for it. Don't keep thinking about it."