Michelle Jozaitis (Photo by Wayne Armstrong)

Finding My Path through Higher Education
By Michelle Jozaitis, senior in the Law and Society Program at the University of Denver’s Women’s College

I was the last person who ever thought I would graduate with a BA, let alone with honors. It wasn’t because I didn’t think I was smart enough: I just never imagined that I would find my path through higher education. Although I always enjoyed school, I often found the social and artistic aspects—like the school’s theater program, where I could express myself through acting, singing, and costume design—more interesting than the core academic classes. Despite my misgivings about education, after graduating from high school, I went off to a big state college in Denver. Like many eighteen-year-olds, I had no idea what major to pursue. At first I majored in photography, and when that became too expensive, I switched to theater. But the thought of carving out my adult life terrified me, so I dropped out. No one at the big state school seemed to notice or care that I didn’t show up. They made it easy to fail.

Sherita Rooney and Family

Unlocking the Door to Life’s Possibilities
By Sherita Rooney, student majoring in mathematics education at West Chester University

Mine isn’t a sad story, nor is it unique. A picture of my life would resemble that of many American girls, painted with slightly different strokes and a few highlighted blessings. Although I have experienced many things during my twenty-nine years, in a sense the life I lead today began at one distinctive moment: when I learned that I was pregnant.

I was thirteen years old and in the eighth grade when I discovered that I, although still a child myself, would soon be raising a child of my own. At that point in my life, I lacked a clear vision for my future. Having recently received the devastating news that I had not been accepted into the prestigious all-girls school I had dreamed of attending, I was now confronted with the challenge of creating not only an alternative plan for my education, but also one for my life as a teenage mother.

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