Greetings, I am a 69-year-old educated Architect, father of two daughters starting middle school this year, who has experienced a life changing event involving my heart. I have had challenges throughout my life, but this one event just changed how my life might finish. Previously to this event I worked hard, stressed and worried just like you on a daily basis, I ate fairly well since I am a foodie and I enjoyed a nice glass of quality wine a couple times a week. I enjoy riding my mountain bike and going skiing in the winter. And at my age I had developed that typical man-belly and was not necessarily in proper shape but my health was decent.
I returned to college later in life to complete what I had started in my younger days; a degree in Architecture. Life does present challenges and sometimes you simply get derailed in your quest. The impetus for my returning to school was the loss of my biological father and stepdad #3 in less than 12 months. Also, at this time my teenage son from my first marriage was struggling with school and was associated with bad influences. I should mention that at this time I was a single father raising him alone and struggling. This experience and the many challenges I faced I will share throughout my story.
Getting back to my experience with returning to college later in life. I returned to college after I turned 40 and this time I was determined to complete what I started some 20 years earlier. Even though I had received some 60 plus credits from courses during my initial community college attendance, my earned GPA was well below 2.0. After meeting with my college adviser regarding my return to college, I was informed that I would have to start back as a freshman with only a couple of courses being advanced to my current studies. While this was a shocker, I chose to return full time as a freshman and take the correct courses to achieve my ultimate academic goal. I also decided to quit full-time work so I could achieve my goals in a reasonable time period. Being welcomed back into academia was very important to me and for my first three semesters everything was going great.
In my fourth and final semester at the community college I was attending I was advised by my college advisor that I could not graduate in May since I did not graduate from high school. Yes, that is correct, I did not graduate from high school but was in college pursuing a degree. In order to graduate with my associate’s degree, I would need to acquire a high school diploma or complete my GED. So, during my fourth semester of full-time studies I also completed my GED and successfully graduated from Broward Community College with my Associates Degree in Architectural Studies. As I have been told this experience was a strength and character builder. I was accepted to Florida Atlantic University for my upper division studies and ultimately graduated with top honors receiving my first professional degree in Architecture. For my high degree of achievement in my architectural studies at the university, I was awarded the American Institute of Architects Henry Adams Gold Medal for Academic Excellence in Architecture. This was an unexpected honor and helped me understand that I was smart and that I could achieve success. I was told otherwise when I was in high school and was always put in the back of the classroom where I could disappear. I was also known as “Papa Don” to my fellow younger architecture classmates which in a way was an honor for me as well. I went on to North Carolina State University to do my Masters of Architecture studies for a second professional degree.
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