Scholarship Award Takes Substantial Stress Off Student’s Shoulders
Angela has “turned her family’s life upside down” to pursue her education as a Medical Laboratory Assistant. Her path hasn’t been easy, but she’s working hard and her family is cheering her on. Read her story in her own words below.
The first time I went to college was right out of high school. I had graduated with honors and wanted to go into the sciences. However. I became deeply involved in progressive student activism on campus and I ended up changing my major to Sociology. After a few years in school, my mom passed away unexpectedly. I struggled to keep up at school; I had 8 years of college under my belt and no degree to show for it. I dropped out and began to work in management full time in a grocery store.
Fast forward 15 or so years to early 2020, and I was still working in a grocery story. I had a 5 year old son, a 12 year old stepson, a partner and a house. My son is really into dinosaurs and animals and learning about the world again through his eyes rekindled my love of science. I realized that I was unfulfilled in my current work and needed a change. I took a test online to find out what career would best suit m, and Medical Laboratory Technician was near the top of the list. It sounds pretty great, and I found that MATC offers a two year course. I applied to go part time and was accepted.
Soon after starting classes in fall of 2020 I was approached by a medical laboratory and offered an entry level job which would give me hands-on experience in the field. I accepted, despite it being a substantial pay cut and not ideal hours.
I have turned my family’s life upside down with this pursuit. Of our worries, finances are chief among them. I left college the first time with considerable student debt and I have been very nervous about adding to that. Since starting at MATC, I have been fortunate enough to be awarded two Foundation Scholarships – in the Spring of 2021 the Zonta Madison Foundation Scholarship, and this fall I received the Emil J. Frautschi Family Endowed Scholarship. Being the recipient of these awards has taken substantial stress off my shoulders – I cannot express how grateful I am. It feels amazing that there is this community of support out there; folks who want to see people like me succeed and are willing to give so generously.