Jaclyn and I had an email interview where we learned about each other’s lives and academic goals. Jaclyn is 33 and grew up in Fayette County, but graduated from Roswell High School in 2006. She is a single mother working a full-time job as well as juggling college classes. College was never her passion, but her mother raised her to think she would be a “nobody loser” if she did not receive a college education. Her mother initially enrolled her in Perimeter College following high school. After being thrown out of the house, Jaclyn no longer felt a need to pursue living her life the way her mother wanted her to. It is now Jaclyn’s second semester at GSU, and she is majoring in Health Science. She currently works as the lead esthetician at a medical spa but hopes to become a nurse practitioner.  

        Jaclyn expresses her academic self as being both determined and persistent. Raising a child alone is a significant duty, but on top of that, add a full-time job AND college. Only someone with much grit and determination would be able to juggle such a hefty schedule. She states, “I MAKE time,” because although she does not have much free time, she is determined to make time when there is none and is assiduous towards her academic goals. Determination goes along with persistence, and when she doesn’t immediately grasp the understanding of something, she works hard until she does. Jaclyn also described herself as “obsessive” with her work. Being a perfectionist may seem to be helpful academically because perfectionists strive for good quality work but being obsessive about grades can become very stressful. 

        Throughout our time conversing, we discussed some challenges we faced when beginning to use iCollege. Jaclyn mentioned that she didn’t understand how all professors used iCollege because “each instructor has a different method.” She found herself logging in several times a day to ensure she did not miss anything. I can 100% relate to this, and I bet many of you can as well. We agreed that our favorite video watched in class so far would be the video on organizational strategies. The video discusses how to utilize the calendar provided in iCollege to help students keep track of upcoming assignments and stay organized. I found it intriguing how although Jaclyn and I are at different points in our lives and are busy in different ways, we still struggled with similar things and found the same video helpful. 

        Jaclyn shifted from never having a desire for college to now on the path to becoming a nurse practitioner. She is taking her classes now, rather than right after high school, because she had a baby and needed to take care of her. “My biggest motivator is my daughter,” says Jaclyn. She says that her daughter, Scarlett, has saved her life and encourages her to do better. Jaclyn described herself as having a “fixed mindset” on her academic abilities and what she could accomplish. Recently she has been receiving superior grades, adding that she has never made “…those kinds of grades,” in her life. “I grew up from a closed mindset to an open mindset…” voices Jaclyn. She never believed herself to be smart enough to go to school, but she is finally recognizing her academic skills. 

        After learning about Jaclyn’s life, I have learned that diligence and determination are vital when aiming to reach your goals. Even with a busy schedule, Jaclyn puts in the hard work and is successful. Due to her troubled past, she didn’t finish her first semester of college because it wasn’t her choice or her passion at the time. Now that she is at a different point in her life, she is working towards new goals, with her daughter being her prime motivation. She is now thriving in her classes and continues to shock herself by how smart she truly is. In the early stages of this project, I never anticipated learning any “lessons” … I just assumed I’d learn a little bit about my partner’s life. My perspective has changed, and because of Jaclyn’s profile, I was able to learn a valuable life lesson. I learned that if you put your mind to something, you might just be surprised by what you can truly accomplish.