I am a stay at home mother of 2 boys. I am married to a wonderful man of 9 years! He has supported me in going back to school to make a career for myself that will be life changing. My husband and I also have our own company. When I was in elementary school and all through high school I was in special education. I did not really see myself as college material. So during high school I was able to obtain my Certified Nurses Aid back in 1994. I then started having some medical issues with my back and was no longer able to perform the duties that were asked of me. I then took an entire day and just sat and thought about my life and how I could make it better. I then decided that college was a big option for me. I then looked around at many different colleges. I decided to go to PTI!

PTI has been a perfect fit for me and my family. It was also nice to be able to find one of my close friends and talk her into going back to school also. So when she decided to go back also since she was a CNA we joined up and did the buddy system and studied together at PTI! It was so nice to have someone else that lean on when you did not understand some of your work and be able to work on it together. Granted with two children that are ADHD, ODD, and have excessive impulse control that made it really challenging at times for me. There were many nights that I would sit up all night to have my assignments in on time. The staff at PTI is awesome people. I know when I had two surgeries during the time of going to school they really cared about my well-being and wanted me to take a leave of absence. I could not do that because I was so determined to graduate in September. There were many days that I would ask myself what I was doing and the answer would always be to SUCCEED! And that I did do.

I have now completed the courses that they had offered and I am now a Graduate with Honors from PTI. If you put your mind to it and keep a positive outlook you will succeed. I just wanted to share my personal story with you so that I may be able to inspire someone that life is about the choices you make. And if you can just sit back and think about what is important in your life right now and want to make that change choose PTI because they are on your side!!!

“You’re probably feeling excitement and nervousness right now. I know EXACTLY how you feel! When I first found PTI, at first I just thought, oh another ad for an online college, probably isn’t anything. Well, was I wrong! I’m so glad that I decided to get further information.

Ever since I was probably about 5, I always said that I was going to go to college. Well, when I got to high school, I got into a little bit of trouble, and didn’t even graduate on time. So, my future at that time looked gloomy. It took a lot to change my thoughts on success, actually a couple years. I finally graduated in 2009, 3 years after I was supposed to. After I finally got my high school diploma, I decided that I still want-ed to go through with my plans of going to college, and I did not want to give up.

Well, before I knew it I was filling out all the paperwork, filling out my first FAFSA, and logging into my first class. Let me tell you, you are going to get confused, frustrated, and maybe even angry. Things are going to be difficult. But you know what? You have some of the greatest people to contact for help. Your teachers this year are going to be some of the most knowledgeable people you’re ever going to meet in your life. Don’t EVER hesitate to call or e-mail them with questions! I couldn’t tell you how many times I did, and they’d tell you the same thing. I would have been lost all year if I hadn’t. But there is no problem with that.

Some of these courses may be difficult and it may be a lot of information to take in, and it may seem like you’re not going to pass your tests. But, your teachers and student support staff are going to be there for you through it all! I have more faith in myself than I ever have before I started school at PTI.

Trust me, you CAN do this! Don’t doubt yourself because this is the beginning of your new life! Good luck fellow students and CONGRATULATIONS on your new life!”

Those classes started in December and on the first week of class, my mother went into the hospital in Kansas, and I live in Alabama. I was calling every day to check on her. When they transferred her and said that she had cancer, I went to Kansas to be with her. Therefore, I was staying at the hospital and trying to do my classes in the waiting room. Well I was not really into it, and there was no place to do my assignments. I was there for twenty days, and then I came home to get some things at my house and get my new books for my next class. I had been home for two days and was heading out the next day when I received a call from my father that my mother had passed away. I was devastated, she was like my best friend, and I could not believe she was gone.

I made it through the next term of classes and just did what I had to. My work was good, however having never had typing before I could not get to the speed that I needed to succeed in my typing class. I really did not care and just did not concentrate on what it took to make the grade. At this point, I was just doing what it took to get the class done and was glad to be done with the class.

Then the next term of classes I had, I went through a real bad bout of depression. I did not want to do anything. The last thing on my mind was doing any work for my classes. I was thankful that I had Martie as my student adviser. She called me to find out why I had not been logging into my classes. I believe that day she talked to me for approximately an hour. She told me that whatever I decided to do was up to me. I told her that one of the last things that my mother told me was that she was proud of me, and to continue on that path. Martie told me to think about what my mother would have wanted and so I decided to take a break and try to get myself back. Then the next term I retook the class and, got back into my classes. However I had no idea how to take the quizzes so I was doing horrible on the quizzes and really was not into the discussion form.

The next term the first week of class, I was in the hospital I was very sick. I was in ICU for a whole day and then was on the floor for another four days. When I got home, I was still week and had very little energy. So again Martie called to see what was going on and I told her and she talked to me and then my instructor called me and II got caught back up in that class. Starting out behind I was having trouble under-standing what I was even doing. Of course, the class was Anatomy and Physiology I felt like I did not learn anything I just did the work. Then I was all ready to start my next set of classes, then I was put on disability and my attorney told me that I could not continue with my classes and be on disability. So again, I was thinking I would just have to stop. So I just stopped going and then again Martie talked to me and I had one of my instructors who had worked for the social security tell me that that was not true so I got back into my classes. At this time I was two week behind so Martie and my instructors worked out a plan to get me caught up. Martie would talk to me every week through the remainder of these courses. It was her encouragement and the staff that made me realize that I can do this. I can prove to myself and others who have encouraged me along the way that I can do this and make A’s in my classes instead of just getting B’s, C’s od D’s. Now I have made a plan to myself that I am going to make A’s in all the rest of my classes.

To do this I had to decide how I was going to accomplish this. I knew that for myself trying to concentrate on two classes at the same time would not work for me. Therefore, what I did was I concentrate on one class the first three days and get all the work done for it. Then the next three days I concentrate on the second class, and get all that work done. That leaves me one day that all I have to do is post to the discus-ion forms. Of course, during this time, my student adviser changed and so now I am talking to Haley and she has helped me to set goals for myself. I thought about it and I decided that I am not going to be satisfied with anything less than an A, and I am not going to settle for less than 95%. So now, I have my goals set and each week I do whatever it takes to do this. In my last two classes, I had a 94.27% and a 97.53. I want to thank Marie and Haley for all their encouragement. If I can take myself from low C average to high A’s with determination and encouragement anyone can do it. Remember you are in this to learn, take advantage of the opportunity that is at you now. If I can do it, anyone can.