Student Stories

“Despite the pandemic the sky is the limit”

Amidst everything we are going through right now, whether it be academic, work-related or personal I want to keep some positivity in the air. There are still ways to achieve your goals, you just have to face your obstacles with the mindset that you are going to make it happen. Personally for me, before COVID surprisingly took the world by storm I was struggling to pay for school and stay on track with my major change. I made a mature decision to leave my 4-year university to come home to Grand Rapids. With a specific plan in mind: to focus on my grades and make enough money to move back with a definite financial timeline, I was well into February and my year was going fantastically! I landed my second job and started classes at my community college… in 5 months I would have secured 12 credits, reached my monetary goal for a car, have a loan payment plan and move back campus to continue my full-time education. I had created a constructive routine and did my best at both of my jobs, I was so excited to be checking off boxes on my “To-do” List.  

Then March came around and the news was filled with reports of this new, deadly contagious virus. My hours began to decrease at both of jobs which immediately set my financial plans back, classes began to shift online, so it was hard to get in touch with my advisors and I started struggling with my assignments while they were also figuring things out, my friends started to get sick and family started to worry about me working. As a result of all these issues coming at one time I decided not to take a break but to follow all precautions so that I could stay healthy but also get my work done. Despite the pandemic, I still encouraged myself through all my options and was willing to take risks that would allow me to make progress toward my personal goals! 

-T2C Student