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"Caged to Changed"
Ruth Chae, Elgin Community College
2018 Paul Simon Student Essay Contest Winner
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I was discouraged. I was powerless. I was lost. I was caged.
Throughout my entire academic career, I attended one incredibly small Baptist school based out of my church.
A Baptist college was also instituted by my church solely for ministerial degrees and it was expected of high school
graduates to attend this college. There was just one problem: I knew deep in my heart it was God's destiny for me
to be a nurse, but a nursing degree was not offered at the Baptist college. I felt trapped. Would I choose to stay
in the cage of other's expectations? Or would I break free and pursue my dreams of becoming a nurse?
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Elgin Community College student Ruth Chae accepts her $500 Paul Simon Student Essay Contest scholarship
from Illinois Community College System Foundation president Dr. Joe Kanosky.
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Following the precedent and attending the Baptist college would have been the easy way
out; but I decided to "break the mold" and attend community college. This choice flooded my life with negativity and
resistance from those I least expected. The church and school administration, as an attempt to change my mind, told me that
I would never be able to make it through community college. Fueled by their doubt, I was determined to prove them wrong.
My first semester of college was the definition of culture shock. For the first time in my life, I walked into a completely
new building surrounded by completely new faces. I went from a high school with a total of 30 students to a single classroom
containing 30 students. Like a scene from a movie, I can vividly remember standing still in the middle of the hallway drowning
in a whirlwind of people. Confused and overwhelmed, my first month of college was filled with sleepless nights, tears, and
reluctance to continue my education. I decided I was not going to give up and allow my doubters the satisfaction of seeing
me quit.
Perseverance allowed me to slowly adjust, but it seemed as though each day I was faced with a new challenge. One of the
biggest challenges I faced was defending my personal beliefs against opposing worldviews. As a Christian, I did not want
to conform to the beliefs of others, but I did not know how to speak up and respectfully defend myself. I never voiced my
differing beliefs, because I was so afraid of being ostracized by my classmates. Thanks to my ethics class, I realized that
my beliefs were what made me different, and I should never be ashamed of what I believe. Community college helped me find
my voice.
My community college has given me a new-found source of confidence, independence, and strength. I went from crying in an
empty hallway on my breaks, to becoming the peer leader for my statistic math class. I became a member of Phi Theta Kappa
and proved those people wrong who said I would fail. I am not the same cowardly, naive girl I was two years ago.
I am determined. I am strong. I am chasing my dreams. I am forever changed.
Ruth Chae received a $500 scholarship for her winning essay, donated by the Illinois Community College System
Foundation. For additional information on the Paul Simon Student Essay Contest, please contact
Kim Villanueva at 1-800-454-2282, ext. 1.
Illinois Community College Trustees Association
401 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 200
Springfield, IL 62701-1711
217-528-2858 (phone)
217-528-8662 (fax)
ICCTA@communitycolleges.org (e-mail)
http://www.communitycolleges.org |
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