Hawa joined the College Possible program in 2018 before graduating from Franklin High School in 2020. She is currently in her second year at Seattle Central Community College. Hawa has shared her story with the College Possible community about how the pandemic has impacted her education.
The pandemic made it quite hard for me on my journey toward a college degree.
With all my classes and school activities being online during my first year of college, it was not an easy adjustment to make. In high school, I only remember taking one fully online class which I disliked a lot. I was never a fan of it, but due to the pandemic it was the only option for most of us.
I learn best when I have one-on-one with my teachers, but even though I could do it virtually I had different interactions than I did in person. I struggled with making strong connections. With all the difficulty online classes have brought to me, I gained more skills from it. I have become more familiar with computer programs and improved my communication skills through Zoom meetings.
Even though I had to go through the process of scheduling Zoom meetings to get in contact with my support system, they were always there to help me out. Like I said, it was hard for me to make connections, but I tried my best to keep in touch with resources that I need in order to further my education.
College Possible has always been there to help me out since high school. My coach Theresa was one of the few people that helped me get into college. I have gone through so many unique situations and almost did not think I was going to make it to college, but my support system, including College Possible, has made it a possibility for me to attend.
In college, I was able to complete my FAFSA on time because of the help I received from my college coach, Henry. He always checked in with me to make sure I was on track. If I had any questions, he was the first person I reached out to. This one time I needed a recommendation letter on very short notice for a scholarship and he was able to write me one.
Even though it was hard for me to adjust during the pandemic, the help from my coaches from College Possible made it easier for me to finish the school year and kept me on track to earn my degree.
