Beth Polzin
Program Coordinator-staff, TRIP
While growing up, I spent time with my uncle and godfather, who held a PhD in Psychology, and I knew that his and my mother’s father held a BA. But this was not the case with my parents. My father had a high school education and a good career job with a pension. My mother was an RN (registered nurse). She had wanted to accomplish this goal through a BA degree earned in another city, but her parents ultimately required her to attend the local teaching hospital instead.
One word that describes my higher educational experience was a sense of isolation. One can be a good student and still be rather limited in one’s abilities for navigating that education experience. Several faculty members served as important mentors for me. In the sea of excellent students that is college (so unlike high school), their attention meant a great deal. Their belief increased my confidence and showed me directions that my future could take.
