Classroom Redemption

By Megan Mahoney, Nursing Student

I never imagined myself attending a community college.

From early on, I was a successful student. In high school, I took AP and honors classes and did everything necessary to get into a reputable 4-year college with a full-ride scholarship. I lived on campus, maintained a decent GPA, had a fulfilling social life and all was well.

However, over several years and through a handful of major changes, a semester-long illness, and a battle with depression, my GPA dwindled to near-failing and my self-confidence shattered. I picked up the pieces in the only way I knew how—dropped out of school and moved back in with my parents.

I started working in the bakery at our neighborhood Publix. The work was physically challenging and monotonous, which allowed my mind to wander as I packaged row after row of chocolate chip cookies and washed load after load of sheet trays. Alone in the dish room, I processed my fears about the future. Is this it? Would I always be here, sleeves rolled up and greasy dishwater sprayed on my glasses? Would any college even want me anymore, with my history of failure?

Ultimately, I decided that my fear of being turned away would not hold me back any longer. I submitted my application to Trident Technical College, which was the best decision I’ve made in years.

I remember the day that I received my transfer student transcript evaluation. There were so many credits that transferred and my GPA was now an entirely clean slate. I could start fresh without starting from the beginning. Nowhere did a number tell me that I was a failure. A weight was lifted from my shoulders and a new excitement sparked inside me. I enrolled in an anatomy course and began the process of applying to the Nursing program, to which I was joyfully accepted.

I was nervous about starting classes, that as a working adult returning to college, I would not fit in. But there were plenty of people just like me— people starting fresh; people who had overcome their fears of failure to pursue a step forward; people that I quickly learned to call my friends.

My time at Trident Technical College has restored my confidence. It has helped me move forward with hope and determination, instead of letting despair and fear hold me back.

Maybe I never imagined myself attending a community college. But because I took a chance, I found out it was the perfect fit for me. And when I walk across the stage with my degree in hand, I will have learned so much more than just the skills I need to become a nurse.