I had the pleasure of being able to interview a very close friend of mine, Jane Schrock. Jane is a student at Western Washington University, pursuing a career in biology. Jane was able to share her own story with us here at Futures Northwest, and we are so grateful for that. Jane inspires me to always pursue what makes me happy. After completing her bacholors in Psychology from Illinois State University, she started working within the field, to then apply to a masters program. She was passionate about psychology and nutrition, and was about to head off to Bastyr University, just north of Seattle. She explained to me that one time her mom was talking to her about this new chapter, and her mom asked her if she was feeling right about this. Her mom noticed a lack of excitement in her voice, and expressed a concern that if this isn’t what you want to do, you do not have to do it. Many times within higher education, the decisions that we make seem so permanent, and it is easy to get caught up in that. Luckily for Jane, her mom was the one who was able to keep her on the right track of following her intuition. Jane explained to her mom that she actually would like to pursue a degree in biology and to take a leap of faith to start over. It is important to remember that when we are thinking about our futures, that it is OK to change our minds. Whether it is once, or 25 times, it’s OK.
Jane started taking a few GURs back at her community college at home in Chicago. She was able to make lifelong connections with her professors there. Jane expressed how important it is to reach out to those professors that you really find inspiring. They love to connect with their students who are equally as passionate about the material as well. Even if it’s just an email introducing yourself, that is still more than what other students are doing. Chances are, those professors will remember your passion and want to help you succeed! Professors are more than just our teachers. They are our mentors, our inspiration.
Jane always had family out in the PNW, and knew that one day, this is where she wanted to call home for a bit. A year later, she was on her way to Bellingham to start her degree in Biology. As an older student who was going back to school, she found herself sometimes feeling a bit behind compared to some of her classmates in the sense of not taking a math class in the last six years. Her biggest advice is to use the resources made available to you, and the ones that you ultimately are paying for. There are great tutors out there. There are great professors out there. If you are struggling or confused about the material… reach out. The sooner the better. Specifically within the STEM fields, these classes build on the material. If you are feeling lost in the beginning, it is OK. That is why there are these resources for students. Go to office hours, email your professors, go to the tutoring center. People are there for you.
I’m so thankful I was able to share Jane’s story through higher education. I hope that future students find her voice to be comforting and inspiring along their own journey through higher education. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop them below in the comment section. Stay tuned to our next Student Speaker Series!
RESOURCES
Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/
Local Tutoring Centers:
BTC: https://www.btc.edu/CurrentStudents/TutoringCenter/indexTutoringCenter.aspx
NWIC:
Math and Writing Center: https://www.nwic.edu/life-on-campus/math-and-writing-center/,
Trio: https://www.nwic.edu/life-on-campus/trio/
SVC: https://www.skagit.edu/tutoring/
WWU: https://library.wwu.edu/use/tutoring-center/welcome
WCC: https://www.whatcom.edu/student-services/tutoring-learning-center
STEM Tutoring (free for students who qualify): https://www.tutoringstem.com/
How to talk to professors: https://getschooled.com/article/4563-toro-101-badge-how-to-talk-to-your-college-professors/