It was a miserable day for me, capped off by a long, frustrating meeting. STC has a lot going on, both visible and under the radar. On top of that, I've been having a rough patch in life. My family has fallen apart. At times, I struggle with my decision to come here...and stay here.
And then I see someone like you.
Your car was next to mine, and I saw you coming to the car as I was getting out of mine for that ridiculous meeting. After the meeting, a drained, middle-aged man was schlepping back to his car at 5:30 p.m. There you were--still.
- You were sleeping. (Exhausted from a schedule that has many components)
- Your study materials were next to you, open. ("When you pass out, you have put in 100%.")
- You had a high school graduation tassel from 2013. (My daughter will graduate in 2 weeks.)
- You had pictures of very young children on your visor. (Mom?)
- You were still at STC. (A 6 p.m. final? Need to sleep before taking the kids back?)
I may have only looked at you for about 15 seconds (including the pic), but at that moment I realized that this was going to be worth it. Not easy, but worth it. I've got a daughter about your age. I hope she shows your moxie next year. I hope I'm showing a similar attitude.
Last weekend, STC graduated 4,800 students. Someday, you will be one of those. Your degree (or certificate) from us doesn't guarantee happiness. On the other hand, it will be documentation that you can learn, you can grow, and you can stick with things until they are complete. Those kinds of skills are critical to a happy work and family life. STC can be a powerful, useful tool for you the rest of your life. If you are a 19-year old single mom collapsing during finals week, I think your future may be bright. You just have to get to that future.
Happy to help, girl. Happy to help.
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