Personal Narrative: My Journey To Community College

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I started to work as a waitress at very young age. I stopped receiving education because my grades at school were not good and studying seemed to be boring. Working in my twenties appeared to be more adventurous and full of promises. As the time passed by, my routine at work turned out to be a nuisance. I was feeling empty inside without knowing the reason. As my level of expertise in the catering business was growing, the idea of starting up a restaurant on my own was beginning to take shape. I believed to know how to handle a business but I was missing all the technicalities. Getting back to school was a good alternative though I did not feel ready.

After I graduate from Community College of Philadelphia, I plan to attend a four-year university. I want to receive my bachelor’s degree in accounting. I have a few schools to choose from. The school I am going to transfer to is Temple University. I am choosing Temple because it is close to home, it has a good accounting program, and to continue a legacy.

With thinking of going to a community college in mind, I began to search for community colleges around me. I found one not far from my home called Johnston Community College. Living only about twenty minutes away and in the same county as the school was great but what I did not like was the school’s atmosphere. To me, the school reminded me of a prison with its tall grayish brown walls and barely any windows. I did not want to attend a school that to me felt like a prison, so I kept looking for other community colleges. When I was looking around, I found a community college called PITT. One fact about PITT that I liked was how close it was to ECU. I ended up not applying to PITT because to drive to and from school every day would be a total of two hours and forty-one minutes of driving every day. Along with how far a drive to PITT would be every day, the cost of gas to drive to school would be too much money. Searching for the right community college became easy at the end. After searching through a bunch of different community colleges, I finally narrowed my choices down to one

Looking back at my life to where I am now. I can honestly admit if I did not come to Community College my life would have been different. Here at community college I have made the most out of my experience I not only saved a significant amount of money but, furthermore I have grown not only with myself but with my grades as well. I struggled with a numerous of things in high school. However here at college I actually took the time to listen and observe. I have made friends and individuals that I can honestly call my family. I have taken the initiative to progress in my chosen fields.

My decision to attend Trinity Valley Community College was influenced by two primary objectives. One was to conserve funds, as this is one of the most useful features of community colleges. The second objective was to maintain a 4.0 GPA. This is where I failed.

In the 2013 fall semester, I entered Bronx Community College to pursue Dietetics and Nutrition Science, and by grace, I successfully graduate with an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree. Base on my dream, I already took all the nursing prerequisites courses. The prerequisites courses that I took are Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, English Composition I and II, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Probability and Statistics, Human Development, General Chemistry I and II, Microbiology and Infant Control, History and many more.

Well my journey starts out just like most high schoolers. I graduated for high school in May of 2012. I got ready to start my next chapter in my life at Iowa Central Community College. I had no clue what I was going to major in. I knew only one thing that I wanted to play football in college, and get my education payed for free. Also I wanted to make it to the highest level in football to play at the FBS level. Some things I had to do to reach that goal where be a good football player as well as a great student. I shortly figured out that I was going to just do essential studies and graduate.

I am a first-generation, Chicano and will soon finish my last semester before I transfer to a four year university in the upcoming fall. Coming from a first-generation household, I have had to overcome many obstacles to be in the position that I am now in. Community college has been a valuable resource that has allowed me to pursue an amazing education at a low price which has eased the burden of high tuition on my parents. Sometimes it is the cost of education that impedes those that seek it and scholarships are one avenue in which they become easier to travel down the path to success. Coming out of Gilroy High School years ago, I was unsure of what I wanted to major in and devote myself to but I had the amazing opportunity of enrolling in University of California, Merced.

Throughout High School I thought I was proficient in reading and writing in my English classes, from freshman year to senior year English classes were easy and felt I could transition my confidence to community college after graduation until I took the English assessment exam and failed in the spring of 2012. Failing my entrance exam was devastating and I refused to accept my results, I waited two academic year before I can appeal to retest my English entrance exam and after weeks of waiting I was approved to retest. After I retest the results were the same, I was placed in remedial English not only was I devastated again but I personally felt worthless. I did not know what was wrong with my reading and writing but I had no choice to enroll

Initially after high school I decided to move across the country in order to find myself, my passions, and my career goals. I attended WW-P South in Princeton Junction where many of my friends chose TCNJ. I always loved TCNJ but I knew I wasn't academically ready to be part of the community just yet. I started at a private university in California which turned out to be an amazing experience but also a lesson learned that it was not for me. Everything was new and overwhelming and it was the first time being completely on my own. After completing my freshmen year, I moved to a community college to do better academically and work a little on the side. My passion for pursing a degree boosted during my second community college that I attended.

Last week at East, we had students going to the community college two days in a row and a school sponsored blood drive. The county office and community college scheduled the college days for our CTE students and seniors. It was hectic to say the least and the teachers had to be flexible. Some of the drove buses, others covered classes to give our students the opportunity to visit with college representatives and local business owners. By the end of the week, I could sense there was an undercurrent of stress. The feel or pulse of the school was off and by Friday, we had several teachers absent. To show appreciation, and to help combat high staff absents on Fridays I asked for money to buy the staff ice cream and to begin Fun Friday.

In 2014 when I decided to go back to my local community college I was told that I would have to retake my math class. My goal was to pass this class and to be able to move forward in my studies. This is something that was very hard for me to complete when it was placed in front of me because it was by far my weakest subject in high school without a doubt and that was back in 2008 when it was somewhat fresh on my mind. This was now six years later and to be honest I really had no idea how I was going to complete this class. Which made me feel very defeated I felt as if there was no one for me to move forward because of the roadblock.

Life has had its ups and downs for me.Like most people, I struggle with a host of issues

There is not a singular event that has brought me to Colorado Christian University, rather an unexplainable journey that has placed this institution in my path. Since the day I was baptized in the First Baptist Church in Savannah Missouri at the age of 13 I have been avoiding a path that hind sight has shown me very clearly. From the beginning I have usually taken another route than the one I was intended. When I could have been more involved with my faith I typically did not fully engage. I entered college in 1990 with no real direction in mind. I was not invested and I did not succeed, but I also did not follow the still small voice that was calling me to service the lord. I left school after accomplishing very little and joined the military