Success through the Challenges

Success through the Challenges
By Zainab Susi

A few weeks ago I received mail from Parkland College asking me to come and give my hat and gown measurement for graduation, which is on May 11, 2007. For the first few minutes, I couldn’t blink. I couldn’t believe it was finally the day I have been waiting for last five years. I started Parkland in 2002, having finished high school 14 years earlier. Just by taking different classes here, I’ve learned so much about myself, other people, and different cultures. The most important thing I’ve learned is how to become a better mother.

I was born and raised in Pakistan. I was pretty ignorant about other cultures and other religions. Through Parkland, I’ve learned that it’s okay to have cultural and religious differences between people as long as people respect each other and are not judgmental. I have also noticed that, because of my new education, my self-esteem has increased and I feel good about myself. I am also more aware of the things going on all around me, and I have become a more positive person.

In the culture in which I was raised, a woman’s life is pretty limited. She doesn’t go back to school later in her life. Her job is to stay at home and take care of the family. I never agreed with that; I wanted to challenge myself. When I decided to go back to school and finish my education, therefore, it was not as easy as it sounds. I feel lucky I moved to the United States where women are not limited. 

I started Parkland when I became a single mother of two daughters.  I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to quit school. So many times I would sit in my classroom and have no idea what my teachers were talking about. Some days were overwhelming and it was a big adjustment for me and for my girls. The only reason I didn’t quit was my promise to myself. It took awhile, but eventually my daughters and I started enjoying school. We would do our homework together and talk about school at the dinner table. They came to realize their mother was also a student just like them. I am very proud of my daughters. They didn’t make it hard for me; in fact, they tried their best to make it easy. If I had exams or had to study, they would cook dinner many times without letting me know.

When I enrolled at Parkland I had to start from the beginning. First, I took all of the English as a Second Language courses offered. Parkland’s ESL program is extraordinary; I had fun taking the classes. I got the chance to meet friends of many different nationalities, which I never had a chance to do before. I still keep in touch through e-mail and phone with the ones who have gone back to their home countries; I even went to Germany recently to visit a friend I met in 2002. I value all the lifelong friends I’ve made at Parkland.

I feel lucky I got the chance to educate myself. Getting an associate’s degree was my goal when I enrolled at Parkland, but now I have a new goal: to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Parkland helped me to find my way and gave me the confidence to succeed in higher education. I feel like a whole new person since I came to Parkland!