Education Corner: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity

Story contributed by Adam Leaming, CEO / University Center

We have officially been back with classes now for several weeks at the UC. I am overjoyed to see students back in our classrooms and moving about our facility. It’s been a tremendous challenge this year for individuals, let alone those in schools. But, as with life, the sun sets and rises each day, and we forge a new normal day after day. For the UC, our new normal includes mandatory masking of everyone in our facility, social distancing in our classrooms, and assigned seats! These new policies have been embraced by our students and staff, and have helped us to keep our doors open.

“These resources were available only because of generous people in and around our community. People who recognize that, even in today’s climate, there’s hope in those who take on each day with a problem-solving mentality.”

Personally, I must admit that I haven’t been overly optimistic at times during the last few months. This year has been an up-and-down, emotion-filled roller coaster for me. At the end of March, during the height of the shutdown, I experienced anxiety and depression, and a sense of strong isolation enveloped me at times. I felt the mission of the UC was forever jeopardized as we looked to an uncertain future. I experienced a growing discomfort. Where did I fit in, how could I help, and how could I keep our students safe and enrolled?

The list of uncertainties seemed like looming mountains that grew each day. The resources that were needed felt scarce and out of reach to meet the challenges. On top of that, I was cut off from the people, friends, and community I aim to serve. I recharge and feed off the energy of people and groups. Connecting individuals to others with similar goalsor problems has been a lifelong passion. Networking was and has been a major lifeline in communicatingthe importance of the UC’s institutional mission and goal in our community.

However, with the passing of time and spring shifting into summer, my perspective slowly turned more optimistic. The challenges, when taken in small bites, seemed less overwhelming. As the days turned into weeks, I noticed how more and more students would trickle in over the weeks to get enrolled. I saw in their eyes and heard in their stories that we shared similar uncertainties and fears of the future. But we also shared hopes, aspirations, and excitement for a new future.

One of our new students was a brand-new mom who had lost her job due to COVID-19 and a downturn in her organization. She was uncertain how to pay for school and how to provide care to her newborn, while still living in this new normal. But she was optimistic for a chance at a degree. A chance to educate herself and arm herself with the knowledge to become a future professional in the field of counseling. It was through this discussion that we discovered we could help her with resources to get her started on her academic journey.

When faced with a pandemic, these individuals could stop, they could hole up. But instead, they look outside of themselves and around their community, and keep going.

It’s been my policy that people give to people, and it was true in this instance. A few phone calls, and we had the resources to get her started this August towards her degree. We need to connect and want to connect with more individuals who are ready and able to give. We have hundreds of students with hundreds of stories. Call me, text me, or look me up on Facebook. We can connect and get you started. Maybe together, we can fight through that feeling of uncertainty, and offer a feeling of optimism and hope, and aspirations of a positive new normal.