Tina C.

In 1988, Tina became a single mother of 2 children, and consequently came to depend heavily on her parents for financial and emotional support. In 1991, Tina’s father passed away from cancer, and five weeks later, Tina’s mother died as well. Destitute and emotionally devastated, Tina moved to Maine to live with her fiancee. In 1995, Tina was diagnosed with a chronic illness. At that point, Tina thought “I would always have to depend on someone.”

In 2001, Tina became a single mother again, this time with three children. Tina says she realized at that point that she “had no vocational skills to support my family,” and that she was “tired of depending on others for financial support.” She decided to apply to college. As a first step, Tina enrolled at The Learning Center, an adult education center located in Bangor, to finish her high school diploma. There Tina met her MEOC advisor, who encouraged Tina’s ambitions and helped her prepare her admissions and financial aid paperwork. With her advisor’s encouragement, Tina applied and was accepted as a Liberal Studies student at Eastern Maine Technical College for the fall 2001 semester. Tina then applied and was accepted for EMTC’s competitive Medical Radiography program. She began classes in this major in the fall of 2002. When recalling MEOC’s part in her successful entry into college, Tina says that “Many people tried to discourage me [from going to college] because they felt that my illness was a barrier in attending school or gaining employment. [My MEOC advisor] convinced me that I had what it took and made the financial aid process a breeze.”

Tina says that her decision to attend college will affect the rest of her life in a positive powerful way. “I will for the first time in my life be financially independent. I have gained a tremendous amount of confidence as a result of my accomplishments. I feel that I am a stronger, happier person, and I am sure I will find fulfillment in my new career.”