amanda

If you were to ask me right after high school if I was going to go to college, I would have told you NO without hesitation. And that’s what I did, as I decided to work instead. It wasn’t until after I had my first son that I decided I needed to further my education.

I wanted to better myself and provide a better life for my son. In order to do that, I knew I had to step down from a position that I was unhappy with and enroll in college. Thanks to a little push from my sister-in-law (she helped me gain enough courage to make the trek to Bay College to take the COMPASS test), I did and performed better than I had expected! That little push, turned into a big push and in the fall of 2010, I enrolled into Bay College. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I was terrified to go to college as a non-typical student. I thought I was going to be the oldest in the class and be outsmarted by all the young, straight-out-of-high school kids; however, it wasn’t like that at all.

Time management was very high on my agenda. I had to schedule my Bay College courses around my new work schedule, find daycare services, and then do all the other things moms do.

I was terrified to go to college as a non-typical student. I thought I was going to be the oldest in the class and be outsmarted by all the young, straight-out-of-high school kids; however, it wasn’t like that at all. Everyone was very welcoming in every class I took, from the instructors to the students. And I wasn’t the oldest in any of my classes!

With two semesters completed, I found myself expecting my second child and confused about what to do with my educational goals. I decided to continue at Bay, but chose online courses instead of traditional on campus courses. With a newborn and one son in school, this was definitely the best choice for me. I went to college ¾ time that fall, then went part-time winter semester.

The convenience of having online courses was unbelievable! I found myself working early in the morning, during my baby’s nap times and in the evening after the house went quiet. So, for me, online was the only way to go and I loved it! The instructors I have had online have been great and the Blackboard layout is very easy to work with.

At the end of my 4th semester at Bay College, I went to two of my instructors and asked them for letters of recommendation; those letters helped me land the job I have today. Brent Madalinski, a Business Instructor at Bay College, gave my name to Annette Johnson, the Career/Academic Advisor at Bay. Through them, I found that U.P. State Credit Union was hiring and sent in my résumé. Mike Valentine from UPSCU called me and had me come in for an interview within days of getting the initial email from Annette. So, thanks to Ann Sebeck, Brent Madalinski, Annette Johnson, and all the instructors I have had along the way, I can actually say I am happy with where I am in life.

Come May 4th of this year, I will be a college graduate with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Business and I couldn’t be more proud of myself and what I have accomplished during the past three years. Thank you, Bay College!