By Marcella Moore
When I graduated in 2018, I knew I would never go to college. I had the grades, the extracurricular, and the referrals. Teachers insisted that I could get a full ride. However, I didn’t see the value in attending an institution that’d demand so much money to learn things I didn’t care about or could learn on my own. I had no idea I would be attending Cuyahoga Community College in January of 2025 until December of 2024. Ididn’t even consider going back to school until November of 2024 and by then, it seemed like poor timing. I was officially 24, beyond the age that your average scholarship typically wants to fund. Additionally, I was working full time and living independently. Choosing to go at this point in my life would be a much harder task than when I was still with my parents. Yet, as I experienced different careers, I realized there was so much more I needed to know. This was the start of me deciding to go Tri-C.
In the world of work, I’ve ventured to many fields from sales, to food, to education, to entrepreneurship and beyond. Each job taught me something different as I practiced skills like self-determination, discipline and integrity. As I worked with children from different backgrounds and with different hardships, I saw progress, but I also saw that my skills were limited. As I ventured into entrepreneurship and found success in my business, I saw my knowledge was limited. Throughout these years, I came to see the value of higher education. My previous argument of “I can learn everything I need to on my own” was coupled with a new perspective: “How much quicker could you learn with a system in place?”
Fast forward to now, my college experience is richer because I lived life first. Paying bills has increased my gratitude for the Mandel Program covering my tuition. There’s much more excitement about working in the community because of the impact I’ve seen from volunteering. I’m much more intentional about meeting people because I see the value of being able to connect with people who are striving for greatness the same as you. I am confident about leadership roles because my jobs demanded leadership. I have the discipline, self-determination, time-management skills through years of working for myself and others that now transfer to my education. The knowledge learned at the school continues to compound the knowledge gained during my work experience.
While student life has changed things in my life now, it’s truly been my life experiences that have had a great impact on my student life. I would like to reassure some and remind others that your path does not have to look like everyone else’s. If something doesn’t feel right to you right now, have the courage to wait or walk away. For my nontraditional students, continue to bless everyone around you with your experience, growth and stories that you have to share.
