Dream of What Your Life Can Be

Dream of What Your Life Can Be. Then Live it!

I felt awkward sitting in a classroom as a student again, with an instructor who was at least ten years younger than me. This time around, I was the one with gray hair and he had the pierced ears. I wondered if making the decision to return to college to study for a new career in Computer Technology was worth the humiliation I felt. Then I recalled a quote that was part of my motivation for making this drastic transition in my life, “Dream of what your life could be. Then live it!” In order to achieve my dream of earning a degree in Computer Science, I would have to adjust to this new situation with confidence and determination.

When the first exam was sitting in front of me I remembered another motivating quote, “Feel the fear, and do it anyway.” I definitely felt the fear! I successfully completed that exam though, and many others in the past two years, each one being less traumatic than the one before it, and each one giving me more self-confidence.

The most life-altering outcome that came from returning to school was not my increased self-esteem, for trying to earn a college degree at forty years of age, but it was realizing how wonderful I personally felt when I had opportunities to help and encourage other students. One young man had such a negative view about his abilities that he was constantly making excuses for his failures. We were assigned to work on a team project together, and his contribution would be considered as part of our team’s overall grade. We listened to him complain each day. He would whine about how impossible it was for him to find the time to do his class work, along with fulfilling all of his other responsibilities at work, and at home. He also frequently grumbled that there would be no way he would be able to find the nerve to get up in front of the class and present his portion of the presentation. I could definitely empathize with his bashfulness, since I too was so shy in high school that once, when I had to talk in front of the other students, I wet my pants! I convincingly made him realize though, that his participation was mandatory, and that our entire team was counting on his best effort. By means of tutoring and encouragement, he was able to write his paper and present it professionally, and on time. Everyone could see the pride on his face as the class cheered his success. He had tears in his eyes when he thanked me for helping him. It was then that my objective changed, from not only earning my degree and being successful in my new chosen career, but to also include helping and encouraging others in what ever way I could.

My greatest accomplishment was not earning my degree with a 4.0 GPA, but was during the graduation ceremony when I was presented with the Outstanding Student Fellowship Award “for consistently demonstrating the characteristics most essential to successful student relationships, and for rendering outstanding assistance to fellow students.”

For years I had an uninspiring career that earned a nice paycheck. But, like many other women when they reach midlife, I questioned what good I had actually accomplished, and what did I want to achieve in my future that would give me a sense of fulfillment. I decided a nice paycheck wasn’t enough; a new career was essential. Earning my degree in Computer Science and Information Technology has been a great accomplishment, and will allow me to enjoy a career where I can be creative. Now, I have “faced the fear” again, and have started to become actively involved with helping others in my community. I have recently been asked to join a Task Force to work toward building affordable housing in our rural area. I am also running for a seat on the local School Board, in the district where my daughter attends middle school. I have come a long way from being the shy student whose main goal was to have a life of complete solitude, to being a college graduate who is able to speak in front a large audience, and enjoy it without needing to wear Depends for adult incontinence. Life can be so exciting when you, “Dream of what your life can be. Then live it!”