College in your late 40s...

I didn't graduate from high school, obtaining my GED instead. I enrolled in our local college to pursue a Criminal Justice and Law degree, but I found myself unable to get a job and go to school so I quit. I worked a few jobs before joining the Texas Army National Guard. Regular Army would not accept a GED at the time, so my intent was to go active-duty military when I was up for re-enlistment. During this time, I ended up meeting my best friend, and getting married. In the next few years I became a housewife, a mom to two amazing kids, and a caregiver to my own mother. After our beautiful daughter was diagnosed with Autism and my mother became very ill and passed away, re-enlistment never happened. I stayed home with my kiddos and my husband got a decent job working for our city. As he was promoted through the years up to Public Works Superintendent, I homeschooled our kids and worked a few part time jobs here and there.

Fast forward a few years later, and my husband collapses at work causing a traumatic brain injury. Never in my wildest did I know that he would become unable to work and have to file for Social Security Disability. It has been a long road fighting for that little SSDI check, but it finally happened. There is one huge problem - it's not enough money to sustain our family. 😟

I find myself having to become more of a bread winner. But in order to to do that I have to find a decent job that is not only going to pay me above minimum wage, but also give me the hours that I need in order to make enough money to add to my husband's SSDI check to pay a mortgage/lease AND utility bills with something left to buy groceries. In two years, I still have yet to find a job that will accomplish this, and all while trying to juggle doctor appointments for all of us, therapy appointments for our daughter, and only having one vehicle to do this with. The pandemic we are going through has not made it any easier.

I have very little work history, no college degree or certifications, and I am getting ready to turn 48 years old next month. I figure I have a good 15 or 20 years left in the workforce, if my health holds out and if someone is willing to take a chance on me. Two years shy of hitting the 50 year mark and I am thinking of college. I have been doing a bit of research the last few days and today I took the leap and enrolled so I am now officially a college student working on my A.S. in Healthcare Administration.