In 1997 I dropped out
My panic attacks started long before I went off to college but after my face was seriously burned in a fire, the attacks got so bad that I rarely left my dorm room. This intense fear and isolation lead to a lot of drinking and not a lot of learning, and by the time my second semester was over I was barely going to class at all. Surprisingly I didn't fail everything, but I did poorly enough that going back would've taken a kind of strength I absolutely didn't have and the mental focus to create a plan I couldn't possibly commit to.
I moved back to my hometown, securing a room with my older sister who was kind enough to let me stay for free. My dad had remarried, and my mom was living with my soon-to-be stepdad. Nowhere felt even remotely like home anymore, but my sister and I did our best to create a comfortable place for ourselves and our friends.
I started dating my husband that summer and vowed to get back to college within a year, but a failed attempt at community college and a well-paying job kept me from following through. Then months turned into years and as the jobs got better and more lucrative, I eventually just stopped having those dreams of being a college graduate.
But not having that degree would become a hurdle I faced nearly every time I applied for a new job or a promotion. I had to tell my story over and over, prove myself just a little bit faster and leave each interview with, at least, a tiny bit of regret that I hadn't found my way back to school. It was something that plagued me for most of my adult life, maybe even a little to this day.
But here I am!!! 26 years after I basically failed out of a wonderful university, I am the Founder of an organization that has filled me with joy and gratitude every single day of my life for the past 15 years.
And I get to be part of this...giving out meaningful scholarships to other individuals who have experienced trauma.
WOW.
The thing I love most about OSW's Scholarship program is that we are telling everyone who has ever aged out of foster care, that it is never too late to pursue their educational dreams.
17 and headed to the college of your choice? Amazing!
25 and pursuing a certification? Awesome!
36 and getting the degree you thought you'd never finish? Incredible!
We are here for all of it!
If you are reading this, you are making dreams come true for so many. You are supporting kids and adults who want to keep on learning, growing and finding their path.
And for me - well - you're letting this college dropout live out one of my biggest dreams of all - to show the world what love, kindness and hard work can do. It truly changes lives. You prove it to me every day.
Thanks for being part of this journey,
Danielle & The OSW Team
PS: Make sure to spread the word that our Scholarship Application is open now - April 19. More details here.
