Could You Spare a Dollar?

My senior year in highschool I never would've thought I'd be where I am today. All throughout my childhood and adolescence, I had my eyes on the prize-an education. At first, I wanted to be a teacher. Then, I wanted to be a doctor. When my mother told me I would have to learn how to draw blood and give shots, my career goals switched back to becoming a teacher (I hate needles). With my 4.0 GPA, I was sure that I was a shoe-in for a full ride scholarship to some wonderful college. I wasn't looking at Harvard or Yale...just any university that would want me. I was armed with scholarships...and walked away with a whooping $1000 to get me through my first year of school. I was thankful for that money, but at the time I didn't fully understand how ridiculously expensive a college education was.

At the age of 9, my parents divorced. My dad was a minister and my mother had a habit of switching jobs often until finally settling with medical billing by the time I'd graduated. They certainly weren't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. My dad went on to have 3 more children in addition to my brother and I, so it became clear that my parents weren't going to have the financial means of paying my way through college. However, during the summer of my graduation, I was accepted into Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. I was excited about college and went with the thought that I would one day become a teacher. After a semester of campus living and a bill totaling nearly $6000, I decided to move back home to attend our local university. My plan was to live at home and attend school full time. Doing so, would only cost me about half of what it did at SMS. However, after about three months at home, I felt my parents desired for me to find a place of my own. So I did. For another six months, I shared an apartment with a friend and finished out my second semester of college. During that six month time, however, my friend got engaged and married. Soon, I was stuck with a rent payment that I alone was responsible for. My mother got me a job in the doctor's office she worked for and I started working there full time to pay the bills. Suddenly, going back to school in the fall seemed like it was never going to happen. It didn't. Today, I'm still working at the same office I did then.

School loans seemed too scary for me at such a young age. After just getting out of high school, the last thing I wanted to do was rack up a loan debt of several thousands of dollars! I continued working and eventually got my ministerial credentials with the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). I became the youth and children's pastor at my church and felt I was following in my dad's footsteps. However, the church was small and could only afford to pay me a small amount. So, I used my money from both jobs to pay off $8500 I had accrued during my first year of college and recently enrolled again to go back to school. I decided to go ahead and pay for it on my own because, again, I did not want to go so far into debt that I'd be paying off my education well into my retirement years! I could only afford to take one, 3-credit hour class. This semester, I'm doing the same thing. At this rate, I should graduate right about the time I start having grandchildren...and I don't even have kids yet! I feel like my life can't start until I'm content. I can't be content until I'm doing a job I love. I can't do a job I love until I have at least a bachelor's degree. I can't get my degree until I can afford to go to school.

That leads me to now. A couple of weeks ago, I was driving around in Kansas City. As is normal, I saw a handful of panhandlers begging for "spare change" with cardboard signs that read "will work for food." Most of these people actually do this for a living and make more money than I do! That's when it hit me...if people can panhandle for food or even some spare change-why can't I? I wouldn't feel a bit ashamed for asking for help getting my education. So, I sat down and jotted out all my expenses. For me to finish my degree, it would cost around $50,000. In a two year period of time, I could be walking away with a college degree and a promise to find jobs I am qualified for that I love. So, why not panhandle for people's spare change on a website? If I could get 50,000 people to donate a dollar...I would be able to get my degree! In some aspects, that just sounds completely crazy. In others, however, it seems like a brilliant idea! I mean, I'm not asking for money for a brand new car! It's an education I'm talking about! Your dollar could change my life! Then my life could be a resource to change other people's lives!

If nothing else, this will bring awareness to an issue that is of great importance-the cost of education. I wouldn't be doing this for just myself, but for every other person who desires a degree but can't afford it. Not to mention for all those parents who desire to see their children go to college but don't have two pennies to rub together to make that happen. So, there you have it. I just need two things from you...$1...and then pass this on to a friend. Thank you for your support!