You would think that would be enough examples of achieving a higher education and leading through example, right? Well, fast forward 13 years. Now a family of 5, my mother realized she needed a new career. Her one college regret, was not following her initial dream to become a teacher because of the College Algebra credit requirement. It was time for a change. We moved to a single income family and my mother would return to the college classroom ready to tackle Algebra. At the time I was in middle school and can remember the financial adjustments our family made to make ends meet. We threw newspapers, delivered phone books, & shopped at thrift stores. I watched as the “family tribe” stepped in to help make the dream of a new beginning happen for my mother. My father took on the extra work of raising all 3 of us while my mom studied. As the oldest, I can remember endless hours in lines at the Lilliard building watching siblings while my mom enrolled in classes, bought books, and applied for financial aid. Her final school semester included a full student teaching internship, a full right arm cast, and the upcoming June arrival of my youngest sister. To say my mother refuses to allow obstacles to stop her from achieving something, would be an understatement. That May, she completed her 2^nd degree from UCO; a Bachelor in Elementary Education. She went into the elementary classroom in what turned into a 27-year career as a public school teacher. My mother’s return to the college classroom and the positive support she received as an adult student instilled even more examples for generational change.

You are never too old or too late to join the party. The opportunity to return to a dream and start again is always there when you are ready.

The people around you can either motivate you to persist or distract you from your goals. It is up to you to refuse admission to detractors and carefully select your battle buddies who are going to stand with you.

Check back for the final part 4 of this series.

Lasting Generational Change – Part 1

Lasting Generational Change – Part 2 ~Babies, Cows, and Diplomas

After years of being 10-foot-tall and bullet proof as members of the US military, many of us struggle with admitting or letting anyone else see the chinks in our metaphorical armor. This mindset continues when we transition back into civilian life as veterans. We will reply with “I’m fine” when really, we are not fine. Myself, I often fall into the thought of “there’s someone else who needs your help more than I do.” Other times I just do not want to admit I might have a limitation. As a returning non-traditional student, this mindset can lead to critical academic supports not being requested or implemented in the classroom. In particular, services available through the institution’s Student Disability Support Services office are often skipped completely by student veterans.  Read on to learn how the Disability Support Services program can help all students succeed in the classroom.

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College Life and Food

When I think of college students and food, I think of cheap instant noodles being heated in a dorm room microwave. Chances are this diet is no stranger to most service members from their E-1 thru E-3 days. Well that was then and this is now. The goal is not to just survive college we want to thrive in college. To accomplish this feat, we are going to need more than instant noodles to power our brain and body. Although instant noodles are one of my favorite instant meals they should not be a staple in your college diet. College is a marathon like no other that requires more than processed carbohydrates. We need simple and complex carbs like those found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy that can be broken down by the body and used as energy.

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What do I want to be when I grow up?

Chances are you have asked yourself this very question. I know I did after I retired from active duty. The difference is most people ask themselves this as children and in high school. We as veterans ask ourselves this after serving our country at a later time in life. Some of us in our early 20’s and others in our 40’s. The most common responses I have heard from veterans when asked this question is I do not know, I am not sure, or they give a list of several possibilities.

This is where STRIPES-Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) can come into play. All of us here at STRIPES-VUB have been in this very situation. We have gone through the transition from military life to civilian student life. We are subject matter experts in the pre-enrollment phase of college assisting hundreds of veterans walk the path. Don’t bang your head against the wall trying to find the right school and the right degree plan that fit you. We have don’t that leg work for you and can assist in guiding you with your decision.

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