Memorial Box Monday - Senior Year

I am in the first generation of my family to go to college. My grandfather was a sharecropper with an 8th grade education and my dad was an office manager/postal worker with a high school diploma and some correspondence school work. Needless to say, my parents didn't have a whole lot of money to provide a college education for me.



In 9th grade, I knew I wanted to go to college and I knew that paying for it was going to be up to me. I worked hard in school, figuring that my grades were my best shot at paying for a college education. I was very fortunate to end up with solid grades and a good SAT score - enough to be awarded a 1/2 tuition scholarship plus an extra $2500 per year. This scholarship, some other scholarships, and the money I saved working my senior year and the summer after my senior year weren't quite enough to pay for the entire cost, so I ended up taking out the maximum student loan my freshman year.



I didn't work during the school year as I needed to focus on my studies. However, as soon as school let out for the summer I was once again working not one, but two jobs. Once again, my sophomore year, I had to take out another student loan. The same scenario played out the summer after sophomore year and my junior year - another loan.



During the summer before my senior year, I continued to work two jobs, but found out late in the summer that I no longer qualified for the student loan! I was heartbroken. I had no idea how I would pay for my senior year as my parents didn't have any more money to give me. I had been praying about the money ever since I found out I didn't qualify for the loans - but so far had no idea how I was going to finish out my schooling. My professor said, "Come see me in my office tomorrow." I had no idea what she was thinking.



The next day, I went by her office. She offered me a job, paid in cash, working for her department. I wasn't sure I could handle school (17 credit hours of engineering - including a senior project) AND a part time job of 20 hours per week. I told her I would go home and pray about it. It became very clear that this was God's answer to my prayers about paying for school!



As it turned out, my senior year was one of my easiest years in terms of study time so the 20 hours a week had no negative impact on my school work! In addition, when I mentioned that I wanted to apply to grad school, but didn't have the money for applications, my professor asked me what the costs were. I told her - and she wrote me a check for the full amount for the four schools I applied to!!!!!



I graduated from college with only $7200 in loans to repay - the truly amazing part - I did NOT attend a state school. I graduated from the University of Miami (a private school) - and lived on campus all four years!!! I learned then that God can provide the funds for anything that he has called us to.



So, in my Memorial Box there is a Diploma.