Cochise College Graduate Study

I was raised in a middle class environment with an unorthodox family. I have three siblings, all of us adopted. My brother is named Ethan and we are two years apart from each other. He is also a mix of so many different races that I cannot keep track of how many there are. After him, there are my sisters, Jackie and Josie. They are African-American twins who are five years younger than me. They are very sporty and athletic, while I try to avoid sports as much as I can. I have both a mother and a father, Robin and Paul Schlegel, who were both born and raised in Indiana. I was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and moved to a town called New Palestine, Indiana when I was only a few months old. New Palestine is an average-sized town where everyone knows

I like taking challenging courses, I once did a Cope course (Challenging outdoors personal experience) and was top of the class, was able to push my limits and have fun

I have been working since I was 16 years old. I was that kid who paid for his own graduation invitations. Being the fourth child of six to a single mother, you had to work to get anything you wanted because she was barely able to give us what we needed. Like many students from lower middle class home financial aid pays for school but not enough to clothed and feed you. My first few years at NLU/ULM I worked in the summer and did a work study during the fall and spring. It was not until spring of 2001 when I my college career took the back seat. I had gotten a job as bus boy at Outback Steakhouse because I had moved off campus. Two months later I got promoted to server and then things changed.

When I was young I didn’t have a father figure in my life, it was my mother raising five children all on her own. We lived in a fairly poor housing project which was made up of blacks and whites; there was not much diversity in our neighborhood. My mother worked part time and went to college part time, which left my siblings and me fending for ourselves a lot of the time. My brother who was the oldest treated us as if he were the man of the house and did what he could to keep us safe. I don’t feel as though my mother invested a lot of time or commitment with us, which caused some emotional development issues among us all. One thing I do know is she always took the time to be sure we attended church every Sunday which we all looked forward to. Most of my young childhood days were chaotic and dysfunctional which made me sad and unsure about how I could trust anyone. I have suffered some childhood trauma which later turned into anxiety while in my teenage years.

I basically raised my brother as my mother was a drug addict and alcoholic. My stepdad was released from prison shortly after my biological father passed. From the age of six years old, I cooked, I cleaned, I bought groceries, even as a young child. I went to the store across from our neighborhood in the ghetto of Tacoma to buy food for my mother, little brother along with myself. We moved well over ten times. I used to be amazing in school, then when my father and aunt passed, my vision became blurred. I hit rock bottom. The loss left me feeling like I had fallen between cracks. For a long time, I was depressed, broken, discouraged. I did not always do my homework, I was hardly

My childhood was typical of a middle-class suburban child, I have a loving mother and father, both who work in education. My father is a retired Elementary School Principal and my mother is a retired elementary school Guidance Counselor who happened to be my elementary school guidance counselor. Our socio-economic status was standard for a middle class family with two incomes. Where my family is rather atypical however is in our ages, I am the child of my father’s second marriage and my mother’s first marriage. I have a half-brother who is 43 years old and a half sister who is 37, my father is currently 70 years old and my mother is 57. This is obviously a very rare family layout and is always a good ice-breaker for conversation, usually eliciting

For most of my childhood, life was great. It was just me, my older brother, and my parents. But at the age of five, my little brother came into this world, and at that point, I felt like my mom’s priorities had changed. I felt like she had forgotten me and my older brother existed, and until this day, I still feel the same way. So i've always had a better bond with my dad. Growing up i’ve always been independent and always wanted to be by myself rather than with other kids my age. That's how I was raised, considering that I am the only girl out of my siblings and out of a majority of my cousins. Through elementary and middle school, I was always in gifted and academic programs, so I guess you could say I was pretty smart.

Currently, as a junior, I feel that the past three of high school have tremendously shaped my character. Arriving at the doorsteps of Manatee High School, I knew little of leadership, or service. To me, high school was and still is a journey. I've learned to give back to those who have helped me. Through various extracurricular activities, I've not only learned to be a team member, but a leader as well.

I believe I've grown as a student for skills for Academic Success because ,when I started 9th grade at Vaughn I was not happy with the grade I got. I had very poor grammar. I always tried my best to get a good grade or at least a better grade then the one I had. Now I believe I improve my grades and skills for Academic Success because there was stuff I didn't understand. When I started Vaughn I didn't know that is freshman had to have 130 reading points. When I heard that I started reading books ,didn't really concentrate because I was not use to reading but now I finish a book and move on to the next one.

There are many reasons one obtains a job. But, when it comes to being a full-time student, it becomes a battle between want and need. I believe attaining a job while being a full-time student is a not the right success move. As the economy worsens, the demand for a job increases. For some students, working in college is a necessary, while for others, it is just a desire. However, it is important to know the pros and cons of working while in college before balancing the task of both. From experience, I know college work can be gruesome and requires a lot of concentration. Therefore I am against working during school because of the distraction and unsuccessfulness it may bring.

Graduating from St. Cloud State University, attaining security certifications, and attending Information security conferences are the main goals in my next 4 year plan. First, graduating with a master’s program in Information Assurance with a Grade Point Average of 3.75 or better will distinguish me among many jobs candidates. Furthermore, attaining certifications (Cisco Certified Network Associate - Security (CCNA Security), Linux Security, and penetration testing) will enhance my

A majority of my college tuition is paid through grants, scholarships, and financial aid. Although I found it tedious at the time, the time invested in applying, writing, and submitting applications has paid off. This

Growing up without a mother, a father, or even siblings was very difficult for me. I spent most of my life discovering who I really was. I didn’t have parents who paved the way for me or to show me which direction to take. I had to figure it all out on my own. I clearly remember my first day of 9th grade where I experienced different kinds of people. As I sat there with my friends, I looked around the lunchroom and saw cliques. There were the jocks, the band and choir group, the honor students, the ones who like read during lunch, and cheerleaders, the dance team, and a few scattered here and there just minding their own business while eating their lunch alone. I

I received my undergraduate degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technology State University. The curriculum was very broad, and highly methodological. The courses I attended highlighted the fundamentals of programming, networking, and cyber security. During lectures, my peers would ask “how?” and apply the lessons theoretically, writing codes for and building personal computers. My attention was focused more towards “why?” I was interested in learning about the distinct role that the computer network plays in our everyday lives.

I feel as though everyone will come to a point where they can look back and truly discover how they’ve grown from their learning experiences. And in the observing of your past, once can see what has made them who they are to this day. In my schooling, I have worked to the point of my first English collegiate class while still a senior in high school. It’s an achievement that will affect me for the rest of my life. And so far, this class has helped me grow and learn things that weren’t possible in previous classes. Having this class paint a picture I have never observed before, it pointed out the strengths and weaknesses I have developed over the course. And with maturity in play, these lessons and realizations can be applied to my future academics and even beyond. High school English and Dual Enrollment specifically has shown me my progression as a student by revealing my past learning and uncovering ideas I never knew were relevant to me, that can be applied to my future aspirations an pursuits as a college student and forever learning in life.