Educational Advice by Karyn

Educational Advice by Karyn - May 2014 Scholarship Essay

The best educational advice I have ever received came from the only foster daughter I had that went on to earn a Master’s degree. She advised me when I went back to school to finish my degree that I should always remember that “C’s make degrees!” I was so very proud of her accomplishments and knew that she worked so hard to finish her education. For her it was breaking a lifestyle cycle that affected her entire family for generations. As a parent there are many times you get advice from well-meaning people that you silently think you don’t need. When I finished my Associates Degree, I was able to serve as the regional president for Phi Theta Kappa and am very much a perfectionist. Looking back, I am not sure what prompted me to go back and finish my degree. I am sure it was on my bucket list of things to accomplish. When I lost a family member, the opportunity came and I leapt forward toward my degree with so much enthusiasm. She was my go to person for all the small milestones of getting accepted and beginning my classes.

I found her advice so helpful many times, and clung to it during my second semester when my adopted daughter went missing. I could hear my daughter’s advice every time I thought of quitting because there was just too much going on. It was the very thing that helped me to not give up and to accomplish my goal during a difficult time. I was able to bring up my grade point average and now I am looking forward to getting my graduate degree!