Education is the key

I have a girlfriend who told me that her whole life  took an unexpected turn for the worse when she made a major mistake in her early 20s.  She told me that she was still paying for that mistake 30 plus years later.  She felt like that one bad choice changed the direction of her life and it has taken her many years to get back to where she wanted to be all along. There were few helpers along the way and she was left to suffer along doing the best she could.  She had to drop out of school and was nver able to finish her degree.  She started working then and has had to work ever since. I admire her courage and determination to get back on track.  I admire her owning her mistake and acknowledging that choices have consequences, sometimes dire and long-lasting consequences.  As the saying goes, when you pick up one end of the stick, you pick up the whole stick and all that comes with it.
I've seen this scenario play out over and over many times through the course of my association with young women.  They think they know what they want when they are very young and inexperienced.  They think they know what they are doing (and often they do, but sometimes they don't.)  They sometimes won't take or follow any advice. I suppose they think that they will escape the bad consequences of their unwise choices.  Unfortunately, that is seldom the way things work.  But, they need to have a way back and a way up and out of the hole they may have dug for themselves.  They need a second chance.  Everyone needs a second chance!
I don't think a person should have to give up their dreams because their choices (or the choices of another person who impacts them) cause them to get off track.  I believe that some young women who are in this circumstance find it hard to dig themselves out.  They sometimes continue on as single mothers in low-paying jobs and are often trying to support themselves and their children with no training or education. We all make mistakes and we all need mercy and help to learn from those mistakes.  Often they need a caring mentor.  Often they need a helping hand and a way back to the path they were once traveling.
Enter the Women's Success Center at UVU.  
This is a center that is having a great impact on the lives of young women in our area.  They are actually doing something to help bridge the gap between success and failure.  The wife of the President of the University is behind this movement and lives are being changed. I admire her determination to get involved.  She is making a difference!

UVU has established the Women's Success Center to offer women the support and resources they need to complete their degree and gain the confidence, opportunity and knowledge that come with a diploma. Utah Valley University is dedicated to providing higher education opportunities to all who seek them, especially to women.
President and Mrs. Holland are behind the Women's Success Center 100% - they want you to succeed!

"I use my Bachelor's degree every day. I couldn't be the kind of mom, wife, and First Lady of UVU I should be without my education."

-Paige B. Holland

A major need that has been identified and addressed is the need that young mothers have to find a safe and affordable place to leave their young children while they attend class.   How can they gain the education and skills they need if they can't find a way to attend class and get the education they need?  The Wee Care center was established for this very purpose.  Through generous donors (many of whom were young mothers who were struggling along themselves in their youth) the center was established to provide child care while the moms are in class.  I think they is a marvelous idea.  A new building is currently being built to allow many more children to attend the care center while their mom's are furthering their education.  Take a look at this beautiful center and imagine the lives it will impact as young women prepare for their futures and are better able to care for their families.  For example: 

 

Women Who Graduate:

• Feel more control over their lives
• Have more leadership skills
• Have more solid self-esteem
• Have greater resistance to alcohol/substance abuse
• Have greater teamwork capabilities
• Are more tolerant of differences

Moms with a degree:

• Have higher birth-weight babies
• Have children who are more likely to complete their own education
• Create healthier lifestyles for their children
• When they choose to work, have higher salaries and more autonomy/flexibility in the workplace
• Are more involved in civic & volunteer opportunities
• Care more about social issues and world affairs, knowing it's the world their children will inherit