My name is Tammi Bailey. I am 30 years of age and a single parent of one child, who is nine years of age. I am a West Virginia resident and proud of my heritage. I was born and raised in Logan County.
Being a single mom with no skills, education, or job, I chose to attend Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College to meet DHHR guidelines to qualify for assistance. I chose to attend Southern for several reasons: campus was local, low cost of tuition, college hours counted toward community service hours to receive TANF benefits, and the legal limitation that forced me to do something with my life.
Being forced to make better decisions for my life, I soon completed the Health Care Professional Degree. The road to success hasn’t been easy for me by any means. It has been stressful and tiresome at times. There were times that I felt overwhelmed and cried, but I persevered and wouldn’t give up. Receiving high-quality student services assistance at Southern helped me tremendously, and, for this I am grateful. I have made some of the best memories that I will cherish in years to come.
Upon completion of an Associate’s Degree, I chose to further my education at Lindsey Wilson School of Professional Counseling to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and Counseling. Some of the advantages in attending Lindsey Wilson School of Professional Counseling was that I wouldn’t have to travel hours to another university because their classes are offered on Southern’s Logan Campus, and all of my Southern college hours transferred to Lindsey Wilson College with ease.
Furthermore, I would like to mention that I was a participant in the TANF Program at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. Southern’s Student Services Specialist was the first to believe in me. She assisted me anytime that I called, messaged, or went in to see her. She helped me to believe in myself and that I could do anything if I had the mindset. She always reminded me that I was beautiful and very intelligent and to never settle for less, especially, if I am not at fault. Life can be difficult, and sometimes we are not dealt the best hand, but it is what we do with the hand we are dealt. We can grow weaker, or we can embrace challenges to make us stronger. Her guidance helped direct me to take the educational path that is essential for me to complete my long-term goal to become a counselor.
I am proud to say that I obtained my Bachelor of Arts from Lindsey Wilson School of Professional Counseling in December 2018. Not only will this create a better life for me and my son, but it will allow me to further my education to become a licensed professional counselor. I want to inspire hope and encouragement to others to continue to move forward even when the road is rocky and unsure. I want to be a light that gleams in the darkest hours of their lives and to be an example to prove that a person’s past does not reflect or define who you are. I want to instill the motivation and determination in lives of so many that may feel there is no hope or no use in trying.
In conclusion, I plan to start the Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Development with Lindsey Wilson College in January 2019 and complete the program in December 2020. I want to leave you with this thought which was a part of my speech that I gave at the TANF Banquet in May 2018. “I think, that it is important to remember that no matter how embarrassing it might be to ask for help, sometimes we all get to the point in our lives that we need help. It may be hard for us to ask for help in our time of need, but how can we help others if we have never experienced needing help ourselves. I wouldn’t have made it this far and continue to move forward if it hadn’t been for caseworkers at the Logan DHHR and the Student Services Specialist at Southern who took me under their wings. I received assistance in many ways to help me eliminate barriers to become successful to obtain both degrees and begin the Master’s Program. They demonstrated patience, kindness, and understanding which I needed at that time because I felt so alone and confused in what to do with my life. Now, I am self-confident and happy in knowing that I can soar high in fulfilling my dreams and goals.”