Why College? Part 7 – Community College Changed My Life
So why college?
“I hate school.” “It’s just not for me.” “School is boring, and it’s a waste of time.” “I don’t need college to be smart.”
These are common responses people give when they finish high school and are suddenly asked why they don’t want to continue their education. Those statements can be valid reasons for certain individuals, as they were once valid for me when I was in high school. However, one day, I got a miraculous wake-up call. Hopefully my story can be yours.
My parents came to the United States from Egypt 30 years ago. Today, they still can barely speak basic English and haven’t been educated beyond high school. My parents, my three older brothers and I live in a two-bedroom apartment, which forces me to share a room with my parents. My household has always consisted of constant yelling, fighting, putting others down, and negative forces. I was never able to go to parties or even go out with my friends outside of school hours until I turned 16, which is when I decided I would no longer take “No” for an answer. In response, my mom entered an extreme state of culture shock, which led to fights on a daily basis. Slowly, I started to care less about my school work and failed my classes. I went to bed every night crying, bottled up my problems, and hated the place I called “home” with all my heart and soul, all of which led me into a major state of depression.
My only alternative was to spend time at my aunt’s house. She and her husband are both college educated, live comfortably in a big house, and have two daughters close to my age. So, every day after school, I would walk to my aunt’s house and make excuses to stay as long as I possibly could. Because I spent so much time at my aunt’s, I began to make observations. These people who were educated (my aunt and uncle) lived happily and comfortably in comparison to those who weren’t educated (my parents), who lived a life of hard physical labor and financial troubles. It came down to one simple question: What kind of lifestyle do I want to live? Most people say, of course you would choose the happier lifestyle because no one wants to live a lifestyle otherwise. But the reality is most people choose the lifestyle they live, even if it’s an unhappy one, because they undermine the power they have to change it.
As the end of my senior year approached, I began to get my response letters from the Cal State universities, determining whether or not I was accepted to a four-year college. Mid-May, I opened my last letter, which was from Cal State Fullerton. It was official… I had been rejected from every Cal State to which I applied. While I stood there staring at the letter, my mother said, “You didn’t get in, didn’t you? I knew it. You fooled around too much in high school!” How was I supposed to tell her the main reason I didn’t do well was because our constant fighting led me to depression?
I faced a crossroads. I could follow in my brothers’ footsteps and begin working at a minimum-wage job instead of going to college, or I could prove my mother wrong by starting at community college to begin the path of building the lifestyle I wanted in the future.
College it was! Even though I wanted to attend Pasadena City College, I was forced to go to Glendale Community College (GCC) instead because it was closer to our apartment. For the first year, I went from class to home, and from home to class, and didn’t involve myself in any campus activities.
During my second year, I met a very influential person. This lady opened the doors to many opportunities, introduced me to many important people, and even got me a job. As a result, this past year, I have been involved in STAR (Students Talk About Race), SHS (Students Help Students), Shadow Day, AGS (Alpha Gamma Sigma), ASGCC (student government), a psychology internship and am currently the president of the GCC Speech & Debate Team. Astoundingly, I qualified to attend the most prestigious national speech competition in the country, something I never expected I would achieve. The people I met through all of these activities changed my life in one way or another, and some of them will now be lifelong friends. At the end of the day, I never thought I would be where I am today, but it’s these things that now put a smile on my face all day every day.
I can’t explain in words exactly how I feel inside because I don’t think words can describe the level of happiness I now feel. I wasn’t trying to make my story fancy when I used the word “miraculous” in the beginning. I used it because I truly experienced a miracle. I have completely changed as a person, daughter, friend, leader, employee, and most importantly, as a student since I decided to attend Glendale Community College. If I had let those Cal State rejections stop me from this path, I wouldn’t be as educated, well-rounded, happy and the Sally Morgan I am today. I graduate with my associate’s degree in a few weeks, and I was accepted to several Cal States for fall 2010.
Remember that you have the power to live the lifestyle you want. There are plenty of resources and people out there who can help, but they often need to be sought out. It was hard for me in the beginning as it was an uphill battle, but I got through it all because of dedication and the resources I found. You can do it, too!
Sally Morgan
Glendale, California
The author will receive an associate’s degree in psychology from Glendale Community College (GCC) in June 2010 and plans to pursue a bachelor of arts degree at a CSU campus starting this fall. She currently works as a college mentor for high school students, is president of the GCC Speech & Debate Team, and plans to obtain a master of arts in family therapy (MFT) to become a therapist for adolescents.
“Why College?” is a series of op-ed articles written by Better Grads staff and guest contributors about why we chose to continue education after high school, how we got there, and glimpses into what we learned. To begin at Part 1 in the series, click here.
