TTC: Changing Lives Through Education

Meagan Hayes

Future Alumni Essay Contest

2017 Runner-Up

I am a student at Trident Technical College. Such a meaningful sentence and a statement that I am exceedingly proud of. I had always dreamed of going back to school, getting a degree and making a positive impact on the world. However my life as a single parent, waitress and an addict four years into my recovery is already busy. I was overwhelmed by the idea of trying to find a way to pay for school, change my work schedule to attend classes, and jumping through hoops to get enrolled.

Thankfully, one day after a string of bad days at work, I made a decision that changed my life for the better. So I got off of work and google searched Trident Tech because I didn’t know how to get there. Turns out there are campuses all over and one, the Palmer Campus, was less than four miles away from my job! So I drove, took a deep breath and went inside with high hopes but low expectations because of my preconceived notions. I have never been more pleasantly surprised! A woman took me to her office on the spot and started telling me about some of the possibilities. Forty-five minutes later I walked out of her office, application complete, FAFSHA filled out, Pell Grant information, major and career path selected and walking on air.

Over the course of the next few days I brought in a couple of really simple documents, did my placement test and what seemed like instantly I was officially a college student at the age of thirty. I remember being blown away by how seamless, how painless the whole process was. I can’t believe I waited so long! By the time I had my class schedule the illusion of insurmountable obstacles was blown away. Trident Tech walked me straight through the process, financial aid covered my classes and books and there were so many classes available- daytime, nighttime and online- that I didn’t even have to change my work schedule! I snapped a selfie in the parking lot that first day, outside of the Palmer Campus, in my diner uniform, because I knew that it was a life changing day that I would want to remember forever. Because of the amazing staff at Trident Tech that genuinely care and want you to succeed I am three semesters into my college career and each semester, each class schedule, is as seamless and manageable as my very first experience.


I am a recovering addict and unfortunately in my wayward years I procured a criminal record which supersedes me anywhere I go; finding gainful employment as a convicted felon is difficult at best. That is a problem many addicts face. They may get to a point where they want to do the right thing and turn their life around but can’t find a job. As a result they return to criminal behavior, then eventually to jail which is a strain on the economy.

Trident Tech has given me the opportunity to get a degree in a career that allows for leeway concerning past transgressions. With this degree I will be able to go from a single parent on food stamps that works at Waffle House to a financially stable member of society that contributes to various resources instead of draining them. Then, as time progresses I will be able to put the knowledge I learned –be it in the streets, my experiences and my classes –to good use by passing that information on to anyone who reaches out to me for help. For each person that turns there life around there is a decrease in financial strain on the economy and an equally opposite little boost to the economy as these men and women go on to get jobs and buy furniture and clothes instead of alcohol and drugs. By giving me the opportunity to earn my degree in Human Services with a career path in addiction treatment Trident Tech is allowing me to maximize my impact on the economy. In return, I plan to empower others to do the same, be a contributor instead of a strain on our economy.

Taking classes here at Trident Tech has given me a huge sense of accomplishment and has already inspired multiple people that I know of. When I made the decision to come back to school, my best friend was inspired to do the same and is now working towards a degree in Early Childhood Development. A women that I know from meetings, in the halfway house where I lived years ago in my early days of recovery has reached out to me as well. She saw herself in me; a single mom with a very young child, winning the fight against her addiction and thriving. Now I have inspired her to start with her GED and not stop until she has met all her goals. The sky is the limit!

When I first walked into Trident Palmer Campus I was curious but nervous. The staff there inspired me to reach my potential despite any perceived obstacles. Now I’m only a few semesters in and already paying it forward by inspiring my friends and associates that it is never too late go back to school, get a degree and have a fulfilling career. Trident Tech has inspired me and keeps me inspired by assisting me in making my degree possible. I have already inspired others just by making an effort and beaming in pride at my accomplishments. When I graduate though the inspiration will really begin! Who can better inspire an addict struggling with the choice of life or death then a person who chose a better life? I am a person that was in the trenches of addiction and lost everything. I know how hopeless and impossible it can seem. Thankfully, I persevered and now I am living proof that a better life is possible through education.