That Ray of Light
"It is the dedication and determination of both faculty and staff that draws ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs to ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË. It is easy to give up, especially when you don't see light at the end of the tunnel. ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË is that ray of light for our ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs." – Amreen Shaikh '13
Editor's Note: This first-person narrative was adapted from Amree Shaikh's remarks during the April 19 inauguration ceremony for President George Timmons. She spoke on behalf of both ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË alumni and staff. She is an ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË graduate from the class of 2013. She now works at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË as program coordinator for Jump Start.
By AMREEN SHAIKH
'Almost a decade ago, in 2013, I graduated with an associate degree from ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË. Today, I work at Jump Start as a program coordinator, so it has been a full circle for me. I am very grateful to experience ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË both as a ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË and now as a staff member.
As an immigrant, a woman of color, and a first-generation college ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË, pursuing higher education was not just my dream – it was also a dream of my Indian parents.
I was born and raised in India. My parents speak very little English. Despite their lack of English comprehension, my parents somehow managed to know the difference between a letter A grade and a letter B. The grade B meant BAD to them. So, they would always point out all letters on my report that weren't A's and ask in a thick Indian accent, "Why did you fail?"
To my Indian parents anything besides an A meant failure. I was later able to solve this problem thanks to Adobe Photoshop editing. I am kidding.
To fulfill our dream of higher education, I came to ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË, but I came with many doubts and fears. It was the staff and faculty here that helped me transform into the confident and creative woman that I am today. I had outstanding professors, who were always ready to answer questions and offer support, but, most importantly, they listened. They didn't just listen to respond, but they listened to understand.
My positive experiences at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË encouraged me to study further, so I transferred to UMass Amherst and pursued my bachelor's degree.
Fast forward to today. I am back at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË, and this time I am here to do both: to learn and to serve. I work at Jump Start, where we provide free, short-term training programs, such as certified nursing assistant, pharmacy technician, and many other certifications that help ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs enter the workforce and earn a livable wage.
We serve ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs from all walks of life – those who are new parents or who receive financial assistance from the government, or who are in active recovery. Our ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs face financial, emotional, mental, and housing challenges, to name just a few. It is not easy to learn when your mind is focused on whether or not you will be able to afford your next meal. It is not easy to learn when you are unsure if your child has proper daycare arrangements.
At Jump Start, we help ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs overcome these critical barriers. We serve hundreds of ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs to achieve free education, so they can gain financial independence. What motivates me to work at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË is witnessing our ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs' success, which they achieve by overcoming numerous hurdles. Watching our ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs transition from being under-employed and emotionally abused to financially independent and emotionally healthy individuals is truly heartwarming.
None of this would be possible without ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË's invaluable resources that help ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs in marginalized communities to succeed. It is the dedication and determination of both faculty and staff that draws ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs to ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË. It is easy to give up, especially when you don't see light at the end of the tunnel. ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË is that ray of light for our ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs.
At Jump Start, our ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs know that it is OK to have imperfect lives and recognize that there is immense power in hard work. They know that they have what it takes to succeed, and, if they stumble, they have a whole community to fall back on.
When I think of our courageous ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs, I think of one who migrated from Ukraine. This ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË suffered an awfully tragic loss. She spoke very little English. When I met her, it was evident that she genuinely wanted to learn and transform her life. She overcame her language barrier by watching YouTube videos online, learning English all by herself. Later, she enrolled in our pharmacy technician program and completed it with flying colors. She earned both her state and national pharmacy technology certifications. She now works at Baystate Pharmacy, and her coworkers are beyond grateful to have her.
Her success is a result of her immense hard work along with incredible support from both staff and faculty at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË.
Every day, I learn from our ¿ì²¥³ÉÈËs. They teach me kindness. They teach me innovation, and, most importantly, they teach me trust. Kindness. Innovation. Trust. These are our very own values here at ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË."
PHOTOS: ¿ì²¥³ÉÈË alum and staff member Amreen Shaikh '13 speaks during the inauguration ceremony for President George Timmons.
