We are in our second year of offering not only two Upswing students a scholarship — but fortunate enough to be able to offer three this year!
Once again our scholarship winners floored us by their inspiring stories and tenacity to push through any and all obstacles they experienced and still lead the way as First-Generation students in their family. Not only did we want to take a moment to acknowledge how far they have come, but also highlight where they are going.
Bethany didn’t have a picture-perfect upbringing. Neither of her parents went to college nor graduated from high-school. She started working at the age of 14, and due to some unfortunate financial circumstances at the age of 17, her family found themselves homeless. At this moment, Bethany decided to take her fate into her own hands and began living on her own and has continued to ever since.
Through the mindset of moving through life one step at a time, Bethany found employment through a temp agency and was eventually able to obtain her GED. From there, she continued to make positive opportunities come her way despite the unforeseen challenges she would have to overcome.
She started her first year of college in 2019. Feeling very intimidated at first, Bethany converted those feelings of doubt into productivity. She has since completed her first semester with a 4.0 GPA and is on track to do the same this semester. She is enthusiastically working towards her goals and is thankful for the challenges that she overcame to get here.
- What were some of your initial reactions when you found out you were an Upswing scholarship winner?
I was so happy when I found out that I was an Upswing scholarship winner! I had previously run out of funds and did not have a way to continue paying for school, so I cancelled my summer classes I had scheduled but I tried to stay positive, believing that something good would come my way. When I received the email notification saying that I was a winner of the scholarship there was a huge emotional weight lifted from me. The scholarship I received helped me to pay for most of my fall semester, allowing me to continue my educational goals and focus my full attention on my grades rather than my finances.
2. What does being a “nontraditional” student mean to you?
Being a “non-traditional” student has become a blessing to me since my circumstances did not allow me to go to college right out of high school and I had to independently work so hard to get to where I’m at now. I have an appreciation for college and for learning in general, which I may have otherwise taken for granted if my circumstances had been different. Working full time definitely makes full time school even more of a challenge for me because my time is so limited, but I’ve found that as long as I stay organized and plan my schoolwork ahead of time I can get everything done that I need to. Being a working adult in college has helped me to take my schoolwork more seriously. Also, the bits of wisdom I picked up on my journey before college have added to my experience and helped me to be a better student than I think I would have been fresh out of high school.
3. How did you find out about Upswing on your campus?
I found out about Upswing through my English-112 class in my second semester. My teacher required us to submit multiple essays to Upswing for analysis prior to sending her the final draft for grading.
4. What is your favorite part about using Upswing?
My favorite part about using Upswing is that it helps me to improve my work prior to it being graded. I have learned a lot about writing through the feedback I have received from members of the Upswing team. Receiving constructive criticism has helped me to improve my skills and receiving positive feedback has helped me to gain more confidence in my abilities.
Bethany is more than halfway through her third semester at Mitchell Community College and will be graduating with her Associates degree this coming spring! She has made the Dean’s list every semester and is right on track to achieve that goal again this year. She can hardly believe how fast time is flying. Her longer term plan is to transfer to Appalachian State University next fall to continue her goal of obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Parks and Recreation Management with a minor in Sustainable Business.
