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Most of us will never really know what our lives could have been had we not made certain decisions. My life would have been very
different if I had followed the same path as my high school friends. My alternative history would have been very different had I
not started attending Black Hawk College, our local community college. Without community college, I would have probably been arrested for committing violent crimes because, like my friends, I was an angry young man. My criminal record would have ruined my attempts to have a good job paying a livable wage. My personal relationships would have been affected. My friends would not have been there for me while they were in jail; like them, I had a child out of wedlock. This would not have been a wonderful life. However, during my freshman year in high school, I decided I was going to go to college. That decision meant that I had to be one of the first in my family to graduate from high school. I worked hard to successfully complete all my high school classes and even enrolled in dual-enrollment, sitting in the front row because statistics show students sitting there do better in class. Whereas most high school graduates only have to overcome financial barriers to college, I had to also legally become emancipated from my mother because she refused to provide tax information for my college entrance forms. Being emancipated meant I also had to get a job. In order to attend Black Hawk College and further my professional abilities, I have worked jobs that required me to know additional computer systems and to have skills beyond menial labor. Since attending community college, my acquaintances have changed; the people with whom I associate are now more career-driven than becoming "inmate of the year." Because of selecting Engineering Technology as a major, I joined the Engineering Tech Club and quickly became its President. Better yet, I am now a participant in Black Hawk College's Passport to Leadership program. My success in college gave me the confidence to seek visitation rights for my daughter so I can be a father to her, a blessing I did not experience. In all ways, I am a nontraditional student. While the current trend is for smaller families, I am the youngest of six children. After overcoming several obstacles, I am starting community college at age 23. I am one of the first in my family to graduate from high school and the very first to attend college. It is evident that I shall graduate from Black Hawk College with my A.A.S. degree in Engineering Technology. Because of a near-campus job, new associates, intellectual stimulation, time with my daughter, and a career path, I am now a happier young man. Since enrolling at Black Hawk College, it is now a wonderful life. James Garlock received a $250 scholarship for his winning essay. For additional information on the Paul Simon Student Essay Contest, please contact Kim Villanueva at 1-800-454-2282, ext. 1.
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