Impact Excerpt
I Found My Place at Governors State University
Yvonne Bailey - Student
B.A. & M.A, Communications Studies
My attending Governors State University was no accident or fluke. I passed by the school every day on my way to work; one day I thought it would be nice to go to school there, because I would be closer to home. I knew it was a two-year, upper-division university but I didn’t know if I had enough credits to get in.
I had attended two junior colleges over the past 15 years, but I did not receive an associate’s degree from either one. I never felt an urgency to finish what I started. Working full-time became my priority. However, I have learned a job is not necessarily a career, but an education can lead to one.
I joined the U.S. Navy, and while in the Navy there were opportunities to continue my college education, but I was afraid to try. I saw other enlisted persons go to college, so I knew it was possible; I just didn’t think it was possible for me at the time.
By the time I enrolled at Governors State University, I was an older student, with a full-time job and a family. But I was a more focused student on a mission to finish what I started over 15 years before. This time I knew my time was precious, and I expected every class to be a learning experience, designed to build a brighter tomorrow one class at a time.
The first time I walked through the doors at Governors State University, I believed I was in the right place. As I sat in various classes, I felt comfortable; the classes were a nice size, the students were mature, and the atmosphere was conducive to learning. When I walked from the parking lot to the school, I felt a sense of belonging. Sometimes, on my way to class, I heard the bells chime, and I thought it was a lovely sound. I asked myself, “Why do the bells chime at Governors State University?”
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