Date published: April 25, 2024
York, PA
"I'm receiving a top-notch education, and I feel smarter already. I’m envisioning my future, and it looks beautiful!"
Amber, a mother of two, always planned to go to college. However, she had to overcome a number of challenges first, including substance misuse and getting divorced. At age 42, she enrolled in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program at HACC and sees a bright future for herself.
"I focused the last 21 years of my life on being a wife and a mother. Now that my husband has moved out, I am focusing on myself," Amber said. "I was extremely nervous before signing up for college. I'm a 42-year-old woman going back to school. I just said to myself, 'This is something you have to do to be able to better yourself and set an example for your daughter. To give you and your children a better life.' And I am so glad I did get over those nervous feelings and apply for college, and now I feel so much better about myself."
HACC has even become a family affair for Amber and her children. Amber's son attended HACC, and her 17-year-old daughter plans to enroll after graduating from high school.
So far, Amber is impressed with the College's tools and resources and said, "They truly want to help you succeed!"
If HACC wasn't an option for Amber, she said, "I would have to go back to working small jobs that don't satisfy me. I would also have to stay on welfare medical assistance. I would like to be able to not depend on any government system or any person financially."
And that's exactly what Amber has planned. After becoming a sonographer at a local hospital, she wants to save for a home and provide for herself and her children without assistance.
"I finally feel like I'm doing something worthwhile with my life. I'm receiving a top-notch education, and I feel smarter already. I’m envisioning my future, and it looks beautiful!"
