I have to start somewhere, so I will start with my high-school demise. I was either going to
flunk out of 11th grade, or graduate a year and a half early- if I passed the GED. So, at 17, I
found myself with a GED and a low-class job of being a cashier for a fast food place, making
$4.25 an hour. It sucked to be me. A year later, I found a high-school diploma waiting for me
in the mailbox. But, diplomas don't have the power anymore, a college degree has taken the
place of it when employers are looking for employees.
six months of graduating, being an independent contractor, I came down with carpal tunnel. Now what? I flitted from job to job for a while. Never taking the advice from my family to tamp down
my ambition and just live within the Social Security system. I had other ideas.
My next education was as an apprentice. I was a mechanic, working with my hands in a different
way than cosmetology. I was an electrician in training. My employer enrolled me in the local
community college, and five years later, I have a college certificate explaining that I am now
an Electro-Mechanic Tradesman Journeyman Lineman. It was a tough task, to work full-time,
through mandatory overtime, and school. There were rules and policies that had to be followed.
It was the local trolley transit company. After I completed that training, my employer asked
me to step down, due to the fact that I did not disclose that I was disabled. But, I could still
keep my certificate.
Soon after that, my mother died and I found myself homeless for a year. For that year, I was
on State Disability Income (SDI) that my employer paid for. I was experienced, but was out of work
for the most part because my employer was the only transit of its kind in my county. I felt like
I was blacklisted. That is when your previous employer tells bad things to other potential
employers. But, while I was homeless and looking for work, I was also paying off my debt
through the SDI. It took me two years, but, I was finally debt free.
Now, I can focus again on school. I didn't know that the grant money would cover tuition.
I was ready to pay. I went to the local community college for five years for a two year
Associate's degree in psychology. What the grant overpaid, I banked it for tuition later.
flunk out of 11th grade, or graduate a year and a half early- if I passed the GED. So, at 17, I
found myself with a GED and a low-class job of being a cashier for a fast food place, making
$4.25 an hour. It sucked to be me. A year later, I found a high-school diploma waiting for me
in the mailbox. But, diplomas don't have the power anymore, a college degree has taken the
place of it when employers are looking for employees.
I decided to attend a private college when I was 21 years old. It just happened to be my
grandmother's alma mater (and this tidbit wasn't known to me until a couple of decades went
by and my grandmother fessed up). I don't know why she kept it from me. I was staying with
her at the time of attending and I always showed her my report card. Why? I don't know, I
think I wanted to prove that if I got good grades in school, she would change her mind
about me having a mental illness and would have to admit that she was wrong. I only got halfway
to an associate's in accounting, but had also taken out student loans. A small amount...but then...
At some point in my early college life, my grandmother had me conserved. She refused to pay
my student loan from my social security benefits (she was my payee at the time) therefore,
I defaulted and the amount that I owed had ballooned to almost triple
I defaulted and the amount that I owed had ballooned to almost triple
of what the original loan was for. After 25 years, and many payments later, I finally paid it off.
I had still owed over the original loan amount when I was finally able to pay it off. Why is this
important? Because, as long as you have outstanding loans, it is said that you are still indebted
to the school you attended because the tuition payments still need payment and as long as you
still owe the school, they withhold your degree until final payment. Also, as long as there are
outstanding loans, you are ineligible for student grants. I will avoid loan forgiveness, because
it is only for the few and the privileged.
Next, I went to night school at the local high-school. I took ASL classes, better known as American Sign Language. It fascinates me. I took two semesters of it. Next, there was ROP, or Regional Occupational Program, that I went to a year later for the field of Cosmetology. In a year and a
half later, with an A average, I became a cosmetologist in 1998. So, I'm set right? NOPE. Within six months of graduating, being an independent contractor, I came down with carpal tunnel. Now what? I flitted from job to job for a while. Never taking the advice from my family to tamp down
my ambition and just live within the Social Security system. I had other ideas.
My next education was as an apprentice. I was a mechanic, working with my hands in a different
way than cosmetology. I was an electrician in training. My employer enrolled me in the local
community college, and five years later, I have a college certificate explaining that I am now
an Electro-Mechanic Tradesman Journeyman Lineman. It was a tough task, to work full-time,
through mandatory overtime, and school. There were rules and policies that had to be followed.
It was the local trolley transit company. After I completed that training, my employer asked
me to step down, due to the fact that I did not disclose that I was disabled. But, I could still
keep my certificate.
Soon after that, my mother died and I found myself homeless for a year. For that year, I was
on State Disability Income (SDI) that my employer paid for. I was experienced, but was out of work
for the most part because my employer was the only transit of its kind in my county. I felt like
I was blacklisted. That is when your previous employer tells bad things to other potential
employers. But, while I was homeless and looking for work, I was also paying off my debt
through the SDI. It took me two years, but, I was finally debt free.
Now, I can focus again on school. I didn't know that the grant money would cover tuition.
I was ready to pay. I went to the local community college for five years for a two year
Associate's degree in psychology. What the grant overpaid, I banked it for tuition later.