The Odyssey Called My Collegiate Life
My name is Craig Passons, Jr. I am an LIS Major, having already earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English with a minor in Religion. I am planning to graduate Spring 2014 if everything pans out and there are no surprises--sadly I am a magnet to unexpected misfortunes. This introduction will not be one about me, my likes, my ambitions, etc. By the majors I have listed, one could take a wild guess that I love literature. So, I will spice things up a bit more by sharing with you the journey I have taken, what I would like to refer to as The Odyssey, through my life as a college student.
Since I was a kid, I have heard the same statement made by practically everyone who has at least attended college, whether or not they graduated. "The years you spend in college are some of the best years of your life." I always expected college to be an institution of hard work, but also fun to counteract that balance. So no matter what happened to me academically (I didn't have the most pristine academic experience growing up), I always looked toward college as the answer to everything: the end all, be all solution that would have all answers to every dilemma. Basically, I put college on a high threshold, and with it all of the expectations.
I suggested that my academic career as a youth had been rocky, and that is putting it mildly. I never took school seriously when younger. Due to a lot of personal issues and complications that have amassed over the years, I decided to drop out at age 16. Not only was I held back in 9th grade (mostly because I had a horrible experience the year prior at a school that just gave up on its students, and a lot of personal nightmares), but I moved between two schools my 2nd 9th grade year: I attended a private school for 2 months before being shipped off to Omaha, Nebraska, and then returning back to Louisiana 3 months later. It was practically dizzying being tossled between those environments. I went from a school where I was criticized for being poor to a school for being criticized for being poor with a southern accent. Those two situations paled in comparison to what was awaiting me on my return home: a non-negotiable option to return to the one school where I knew I would never succeed. It was at that point where I decided I must take action and make an independent choice. I decided to drop out, and get my GED. Within a year in that program, I attained the certificate. I have mixed feelings about that route because while it did act as a shortcut to graduation, it also is not something I am very proud of. It was basically an inescapable situation where I had to choose my poison, and I chose the one that had the best chance of accomplishment.
So, I got my GED. While embarassed for the accomplishment, I was eagerly excited by being 17 and going to college two years ahead of everyone. I thought finally the tables have turned, and I can make something of myself before all the other students who berated and belittled me growing up. I decided to attend a community college to weed out any prerequisites I needed that I wasn't able to attain with a GED. Everything went smoothly until a year and a half later where life threw a curveball, and I had to drop out. It did not end on good terms. The time at which I decided to drop out was a week after the deadline for withdrawal. I had no other option at the time--life happens. I failed all 5 classes, which dropped my GPA from a 3.4 to a 1.7 GPA. I thought that was the end of it for me as a college student.
I spent the next 3 years working odd jobs: movie rental associate, gas station clerk, cabinet delivery driver. It wasn't until Summer of 2005 when I decided to take a second chance at college. I was in the process of being admitted to University of New Orleans when lo-and-behold Hurricane Katrina hit. After the smoke cleared, my records were in limbo for over a year. Fall 2007, I tried again to apply to Southeastern Louisiana University and was accepted, but was on probation due to my GPA. At the time I was a Psychology major. I had little passion for reading, as I constantly got distracted or found it burdensome. It is weird to admit, because I have been an avid writer since age 12; by nature, a writer has to love to read. It wasn't until my wife encouraged me to read more, and when I took a class in American Literature, when I found the value of literature. Since then I became hooked. By end of Spring 2008, I changed my major to English and was ready to tackle that major. Summer 20008 came, and with it Hurricane Gustav. It felt like deja vu all over again. This time I had to relocate to Mississippi and build a life outside the little town called Jackson. By then my wife was expecting, I needed to put food on the table, and decided to put college on hold. Again. For the third time. Fall 2009 I became antsy and said enough was enough. I was aiming to attend a university but was denied because of my GPA and some missing credentials. I attened Hinds Community College in Fall 2009. From Fall 2009 to Summer 2011 I was fulfilling all prerequisites needed for my English major w1ile working full-time. Spring 2011 I found out we were expecting a second child, but I did not let that sway me in any way. I completed Summer 2011 with a 4.0 GPA and wife in labor; the 4.0 was just enough to get me out of the red zone, and get my GPA up to a 2.2.
Fall 2011 came in the blink of an eye. We were moved into Pinehaven Family Housing, well at least our boxes and furniture were stored there waiting to be unpacked--a process that took literally the entire semester. I did not expect USM to be as challenging as it is, and was taken by surprise. The years of 2011 to 2013 were spent with my eyes glued to pages of countless literary texts and textbooks; I would have never predicted I would be reading as much material as I had been. I made reading such a habit that there was no where I walked without a book to my face. I juggled work, school, 2 kids, and all of the trials and tribulations that come with parenting and being a college student working full time, but I managed not only to have my GPA climb from a 2.2 to a 3.14, but was accepted into Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society. I realized then that I have evolved much from the arrogant, rebellious teenager I once was. A lot credit belongs to my wife, who stuck with me and encouraged me through all of the drama. I was just glad I did it. I earned a Bachelor's degree, and it only took me 13 years (something I joke about to this day).
Towards the end of my career as an English major, I decided to start another major in Library and Information Sciences. I figured, since I love books, a library would be the perfect environment. I knew little about the program at the time and thought with an LIS major I would become a librarian desk clerk or shelf stocker. It came as a huge surprise to see how many fields are entailed with the LIS major, that I have grown even more interested and excited to pursue the LIS major than I had with the English major. I will admit, there still remains turbulent waters as life always brings its many wonderful surprises. College is not the wonderful journey I previously expected, but a challenging endeavor that has molded me into maturity--that through all of the strive and tribultions, I have gained strength to do what I thought was unexpected. If these these 13 years have entailed the best that life has to offer, then I am in for a doozy of a ride later on in life. It is all good, because now I know anything is possible. As long as I have home in my vision on the horizon, no tide will be too strong to not surpass. I know the odyssey will come to an end, and I will succeed.