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About Me and My Decision to Attend MTC I kept telling myself I was going to college “next year.” That was in 1983 after graduation. Next year finally came in the fall of 2009. So it has taken what it has taken. Fear of the unknown, as experienced back in my high school years, kept me from achieving a great deal of new, exciting and fun aspects of life, including college. Although I have had the challenges and excitement of marriage, child rearing to adulthood, a few jobs, and the "now what do you want in your life" question, the fear of the unknown has perplexed me a great deal. I am also of the belief I create my own reality. So, "What do I want to be when I go up?," I asked. I love animals and more specifically, wolves. Yes, you heard me correctly. I had just gotten back from a personal sojourn in New Mexico from a captive-bred wolf sanctuary and now I wanted to make another reality come true, to attend college. I began researching what was necessary to go to college. It was mind blowing. I asked questions, wrote down everything. I decided I would go to MTC because it appeared to me to be more personable and also centrally located. I spoke to many friends who had and were attending MTC. It was helpful that they were having and had positive advice and experiences. I made my decision, I was going to attend. Then I scheduled appointments...lots of appointments, such as, I found out I needed to take an assessment to see where I placed academically. I felt at this point college was becoming real to me. I was making it happen, in a sense! Once I got the results from the assessment, I needed to meet with a new student advisor to see just what it was I wanted to take in college even if I did not really know. At this point, I was full of questions. I knew the Associate in Science degree program could lead me to Wildlife Conservation and therefore, I had a chance to work with animals in some capacity by starting there. Then, I went to speak with the student financial aid counselor asked all sorts of questions and found this to be an enlightening experiencing about the process and qualifications. I had already filled out the FASFA, which was not as difficult as I had imagined. I made an appointment with a student disabilities counselor and realized I was capable of doing things on my own to get a college education. Believe me, I was afraid to ask questions because I did not want to appear un-college educated, then, I thought, wait a minute, who cares about that. I want to learn and I do not have time to be concerned about how I appear. Some time has passed, and I have been here for about two months. I have adjusted quite well. I am amazed! I am achieving excellent grades! I am learning about my self-discipline and lack of, at times. I am having fun, participating in my education and humbled by the opportunity. I am also learning that instructors genuinely do care about you and your education, but ultimately it is up to YOU. The saying "you can do and be whatever you put your mind to" is exactly what it means and only YOU can create this reality for yourself.
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Catherine B.