Saran Day

“As a child my only dream was to become a teacher. I knew what it would take to make this happen…hard work, dedication and the will to jump any hurdle that came my way. Although I had my ducks in a row, life happened and my dreams no longer seemed like a reality. In my senior year of high school I found out I was pregnant. I had my acceptance letter from a local university in one hand and a baby bottle in the other. Even though I had a challenge to deal with, the thought of going to college never left my mind. I knew I had to make a decision to either work and go to school, leaving my daughter with the baby sitter; or just work so that I could spend more time with her. As time went by I secured a good-paying job and met the love of my life Dwight. We married after two years, and five more beautiful children came.

Now some may say securing a 9 to 5 should be my main focus, but my dream of becoming a teacher for disabled children stayed a number two priority, being a good mother was number one. In 2002, I had twins so I went from having one child to three. My life was consumed with changing Pampers, work, helping my daughter with homework, and church. My dreams seemed so far away. As time went by, I spent thousands of dollars trying to find a school that would cater to my hectic lifestyle. I attended several local colleges only to find they weren’t parent-friendly. There was a time I ended up in loan default because I couldn’t find a college that accepted the fact that if my child got sick during schools hours, I had to leave. After spending countless dollars on application fees, service fees and transportation; I found a place that would change my life forever.

One day I was on the elevator and this woman says to me, ‘young lady are you enrolled in college?’ I told her about my hectic life and she smiled and said, ‘I have a solution: Cambridge College.’ She handed me a pamphlet, and the rest is history. In 2009, I enrolled at Cambridge College in Chesapeake, Virginia. I received my Bachelor’s in 2010 in Multidisciplinary Studies. My experience was unbelievable. The staff was supporting and caring; they stood beside me and guided me to success. As a parent, my priority lay with my family; so throughout my journey, things happened and they understood. I had a family member murdered due to domestic violence, I lost my father to cancer, and I had my own personal health struggles. But my professors and school director helped me get through it. In 2012, I received my Master’s in Education. When I walked across the stage, my life changed forever. Cambridge College understands ‘real life.’ They cater to adults that have jobs, children, family, priorities, goals, dreams and the drive to succeed. As of today, I’m pursuing my CAGS in Curriculum and Instruction. My life has been a roller coaster but Cambridge has given me an opportunity to make my dreams a reality.

Thank you Cambridge College, because of what you stand for as a college. I am a Special Education Teacher at I.C. Norcom High School located in Portsmouth, Virginia.”