“There has never been and will never be anyone exactly like you. Yet as we examine this rich individuality, we also discover a common denominator that unites us all: our determination in the face of this world’s uncertainties”.

I wrote those introductory lines in a speech to compete for valedictorian of my graduating class from Rider University in May 2004. Yet despite a perfect 4.0 GPA in the Human Services Administration graduate program, a diverse work background, including adult education instruction, theatre, and volunteerism, and my considerable communications and presentation skills, I was not chosen to be class speaker. That was okay with me. I was honored by my church and congratulated by friends, coworkers, and even strangers for completing my Masters’ degree at night while working full time and volunteering in my community. Many years after my graduation from undergraduate school, I had returned to college for an advanced degree. You can too.

As summer ends, our children and perhaps a friend or two prepare to return to the classroom, but…what about you? What convenient excuses have you been holding onto that prevent you from earning your high school or college diploma or professional certificate?

Are you worried that you won’t have enough money for tuition? I paid for graduate school by taking a single course each semester, doing research for a professor in exchange for a free course, taking advantage of an educational tax credit, and by paying in monthly installments. It may have taken longer to earn my degree that way, but as a friend once said, “So what? So, it takes five or six years instead of four to get it. You’ll still be that much older even if you don’t do it.” Point well taken.

Are you worried that you won’t have the time to study? Be aware of the time of day when you have the most energy. I realized that my mind is sharpest during the early morning hours before I left for work. I also did a great deal of studying and writing during my commute to work and to class.

Are you using the excuse that you don’t have a car and won’t be able to attend classes at night? Nearly every college in Mercer County is accessible by public transportation. I took the bus from Rider University twice a week even on rainy or snowy nights.

Do you believe that you have too many responsibilities already (too many bills, a demanding job, children or aging parents to take care of) to even consider going back to school? As an adult basic education instructor in Brooklyn, I taught women and men who held two or more minimum wage jobs, sacrificed to send their children to charter or private school, and still carved out time to attend my evening GED class.

Are you rejecting the idea of returning to school because you believe you are too old, or do friends and family discourage you from even taking the first step? Every May and June, newspapers feature stories about mature students in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and even older who, after decades away from the classroom realize their dream of completing their education. Some even graduate with their own children or grandchildren! A former student of mine from Haiti had little emotional support from her husband in her pursuit of her high school equivalency diploma. In addition to working two minimum wage jobs and caring for her children, her husband forbade her from attending my class until she cooked his dinner, and the children were settled in for the night! She risked her husband’s anger to attend my 6:30 class, then rushed to her next job!

Do you support the argument that even if you do go back to school, you won’t be guaranteed a higher salary or a better job right now? You know that no diploma, degree, or certificate could ever guarantee anything. Nothing in this world is guaranteed (even our next breath), but the pursuit of education helps keep you in step with others who compete for the goal of a promotion, a better job, or even entrance into an entirely different field. Throughout the education process, you develop the confidence to create your own opportunities. Overcoming obstacles to return to school also shows a potential employer that you would make a valued, determined, and committed employee. Wouldn’t you hire an individual with such a professional attitude? I would.

You must consider continuing education to be a way of life for yourself as well as for your children. You are part of your children’s future as an example and as a mentor. Reminding your children (all right, let’s be honest: cajoling or convincing them!) to do their homework takes on an entirely different meaning if you are doing your own homework right in the same room. Even the most self-absorbed teenager will be impacted by the image of her parent writing a paper at the kitchen table, a laundry basket at her feet, and dinner in the microwave, after a hard day’s work. I still have imprinted on my memory the image from childhood of my father (dead since my early 20s), a widower, stretched across his bed after a hard week at the plant, reading a novel or the newspaper. Both my mother (who died when I was 7) and my father were the only members of their families to graduate high school. My dad completed two years of community college on the G.I. bill before marrying my mother.

I challenge you to call or visit your nearest college, high school, or adult night school this week. Stop procrastinating. Be determined and seize this opportunity. (Tell them Karen sent you!)