Students of MI: Amani

“I decided to continue my education at Eastern Michigan University after a lot of thought. After high school, I moved overseas, completed a few years of community college and even had three kids. After a while, I kind of found myself going through a hard time personally. I became a single mother and wanted to be able to better provide for myself and for my kids. I knew that it was time for me to finally finish my degree.

I chose social work as my area of study for many reasons. While I was going through that hard time, I kept thinking about why people act certain ways and what I could do to help. Now that I’m back in school, I often get goosebumps sitting in my social work class listening to my amazing professor. Moments like that tell me that this is exactly what I want to do. I can’t wait to be finished so I can start helping people myself.

As a single mother, balancing school and family was daunting at first. Online classes are one tool that helped out substantially. I’m a full-time student, but I only have to come to campus once a week. That is a key thing that allows me to be here at EMU. Prioritizing what needs to be done and learning time management skills was also something that I found to be important.

Financial aid is another huge reason I am able to further my education at EMU. Without FAFSA, I would not be able to be here. My parents helped me with the application online but it’s fairly simple. For me, it’s just a part of going to school. It’s been a great blessing to be able to have that resource. Scholarships are also very helpful. I have one right now and plan on applying for more next year.

There’s also a ton of resources at EMU that are here to help. You can get advising help on which classes you need to take, what you want to do, where you want to work and so many other areas. If you took a gap year and don’t know what you want to do, or maybe you’re just looking to change careers, there’s resources on campus for you to take advantage of.

One of the most rewarding things that I’ve experienced so far has been discussing issues that are happening in the world today. It’s been amazing to find out that there are people who have similar experiences as me. It’s rewarding to find people that share your same passion.

On those wondering if college is worth it, I’d tell them it definitely can be done. In the long run, it’s so worth it. My mom always told me that time is going to go by, so use that time towards reaching your goals for the future. Investing your time now will really put things into perspective.”

(Amani, Social Work, Eastern Michigan University)

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