Almost 20 years before beginning my journey at Siena Heights University, I completed two Associate’s Degrees at Lansing Community College (LCC). Thankfully I was able to transfer a majority of credits and apply them towards my Bachelor’s Degree at Siena Heights.
In that span of almost 20 years, I worked for a few acclaimed firms as a website designer and developer, learning from each position and all of the wonderful brains that surrounded me. It was not until after the birth of my daughter that I entertained the thought of returning once again to complete my Bachelor’s Degree. At first, I was very hesitant to commit; after all, it had been almost 20 years since I was last a student. I feared that I would not be able to finish school with all of the demands of my adult life, but I knew there was no better time than the present.
Starting out at Siena, I chose to go slow and was happy taking only one course every eight weeks. I wanted to make sure I was doing this right this time. I had always been a good student and I knew that as a single mom, working full time, I might have to accept that I would just be an ok student this time around. While it was painful, I let go of some of the expectations I had for myself. I practiced taking everything one day at a time and gave over control to my academic advisor, allowing her to plan my next two years of schooling out.
Day by day, I chugged along. Surprisingly, after my second full semester, I felt like I was getting a handle on life with this new responsibility. In the summer of 2019 I knew I needed to cover a science course at LCC and again found myself fearful of the workload. So I made a deal with myself: if I could handle my normal Siena courses and pass this biology course in the same semester, I would up my game in the fall and take two courses per eight weeks. This would push up my graduation date. I passed all my courses that summer with 4.0/A’s, so I followed through on my “deal” to increase my course-load for fall.
My time at Siena has given me a lot. The obvious things I have gained are outlined in the course outcomes. Sure, I successfully completed all of my courses. I learned a thing or two about biology and public speaking. I have a better understanding of how specific personalities communicate and can relate that to my office setting. I had many very enjoyable conversations with my professors and fellow classmates, despite not having ever met them in person. Overall, the academic outcomes have been everything that a student is supposed to expect.
What caught me off guard however, is what I did not see coming in my time spent at Siena: an improved sense of confidence and pride in myself. I came into this setting, nervous and unsure of my ability to live up to this commitment that I was making. I promised myself and my daughter that I would still be proud regardless of my grades, knowing that I was doing my absolute best that I can in the moment. And what did that get me? If my calculations are correct, and the online calculator is correct, I am going to be graduating Magna Cum Laude at the end of this semester! I have no accurate words to describe the emotion inside even just writing that statement. And while it is disappointing that Commencement has been postponed due to the coronavirus, I will still carry this feel-good in my heart every day! This journey has not in any way been an easy one, but I did it with all the grace and glory I had inside and here I am! Proud to be a Saint!
Below you will find a listing of the courses I took while enrolled at Siena, as well as downloadable samples of my work from each course. Feel free to email me feedback as well.
Program Details
Professional Communication, Bachelor of Arts
Graduating May 2020, Magna Cum Laude