Back To School at 31!
A few days ago, I applied to go back to school to attempt to obtain my bachelor's degree in business management. I have attempted this twice before and did not make it very far either time.
The first time was back in 2009, right after I finished high school. I began working at the local Meijer department store and started attending the University of Cincinnati. I barely made it through a month before I found out I was pregnant with my, now 12-year-old, son.
So, I gave up my dreams and exchanged my books for a full-time career in clerical work. I found a home, a good job and began my journey as a mother.
The second attempt was around Fall in 2016. Shortly after our, now 5-year-old, daughter arrived. I was adamant that she was the last child we were adding to our household and felt it was a good time to start, once again, on the path to fulfilling my long-lost dream.
However, the world had other plans.
We quickly found we were pregnant, yet again, with child number six and the weight of another child plus some financial strain… sent my dream barreling into the backseat, yet again.
So, why try for a third time?
Well, I’m finished having children and this time I have the medical procedure paperwork to prove it. With all of the hits we’ve been taking over the past four months, I had been feeling sorry for myself. Strained and stressed. When I ran into an epiphany while talking with a girlfriend of mine. She had mentioned something about her fiancé starting school next month.
“Really? Well, he’s older than me… I can do that!”
I thought to myself as she spoke. Before we even hung up the phone, I was researching FASFA information and applying to the University of Pheonix. And guess what! I was approved! That’s right my friends, I will be starting my journey to follow my dream at the age of 31! In four short years I will finally have the degree I have had my eye on for over a decade.
Will it be hard? Yes
Could I fail? Yes
Will that stop me? No
I have spent my entire life doing things for others and hoping for karma to provide my kindness back to me… yet here I write to you, financially strapped and climbing from a dark hole I placed myself in a week ago.
I realize now that if I want the good things that I was promised from a young age I would gain by being a good person, that I would need to push myself forward and grab them myself.
And that’s exactly what I intend to do.
🧡Shine Bright, Kayla
Originally published on Medium.com August 2022