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Where does opportunity happen?
In a special place?
A moment in time?
Maybe through a connection with others.
Wherever it happens, opportunity changes everything.
Getting an opportunity means being able to leave behind the place you were,
and travel forward, closer to your dreams,
to the place where you’ve always wanted to be.
Thanks to donors like you, the people who earn scholarships to attend PCC
are on a journey themselves, overcoming tremendous odds
and moving forwards to better their lives. Each of those students has a story to tell,
and if they could send a postcard from where opportunity happened for them,
this is what they might say.
To veterans who are starting a new life:
As veterans, we face challenges that can be hard for other people to imagine.
There were days when it seemed like the hard times would never get better.
But they did for me. They can for you, too.
To people who are trying to turn their lives around:
There comes a point when you have to make a decision.
As someone who’s been there, I can tell you that every bit of effort you put forth
and every challenge you face in making change is worth it.
To people who aren’t sure if college is for them:
When I walked into a classroom for the first time in thirty years,
believe me, I was nervous.
But if you stick with it, you’ll find out that you have it within yourself to be successful.
I went through a lot of, I can’t even say ups and downs,
a lot of downs before I finally realized what I wanted to do with my life.
The biggest challenge in my life has been overcoming my drug addiction.
I started skipping school when I was in the sixth grade,
and it just kept progressing until I dropped out.
My job had laid me off, and I had a hard time finding work due to my educational background.
I have post-traumatic-stress disorder pretty bad.
I got divorced. I lost my truck. I lost my apartment. Everything went down hill.
I just wasn't happy. I couldn’t find that fulfilling thing in my life
to where it would give me a purpose.
I was 26. I’d spent four and a half years in jail.
I just decided, I’ve made such a bad wreck of my life,
that I want to put my best foot forward
and see if I can’t counter that with a good education.
Since being on the college campus here,
I’ve been an honor student three of the four terms that I’ve been here,
and that took a lot of hard work and determination. I enjoy my schoolwork. I want to do well.
My experience in the classroom has definitely helped me become more confident
and feel more comfortable dealing with other individuals.
It was definitely worth all of the struggles to get that diploma,
and feel like you've gone somewhere in life.
I have a two year old son, and it’s just good to know that I'm good at something,
because this is going to be able to provide a life not only for myself, but for him.
I didn’t expect to be rewarded any kind of funds or anything like that.
I did it just to say that I tried.
Even I didn’t believe it at first.
I read the paper over and over, and I still look at it today, wondering if it’s real.
It can really make a difference in people’s lives when they’re awarded a scholarship,
not only for financial purposes, but just that it gives you the acceptance
and the motivation that you need to keep going.
I think people were able to see where I’ve come from,
and the challenges that I’ve faced, and how I’m trying to overcome those and…prosper.
If you’re thinking about donating, then you already have a big heart,
and it’s very much appreciated.
Without an educational background, it’s so difficult,
and those were the struggles that I had to go through every day
until I decided to come to PCC, and like I said,
I think that was the best choice I’ve ever made.