Below is the full transcript from Tina’s speech at The Care Center’s Virtual Housewarming Party for Roqué House on June 6, 2021.
My name is Tina Scott. I graduated from Bard Microcollege Holyoke two years ago and I am now a Frances Perkins Scholar at Mount Holyoke College. I am proud to say that Julisa and I were the first two students from Bard Holyoke to attend. I am majoring in English and will be graduating in 2022. I love to write poetry, and also love photography. I am expanding my interests into calligraphy and a little drawing, too.
I have helped raise my great-nephew, Jae’quan, since he was a baby, and obtained legal guardianship of him when he was five years old. At that time, we were living with my mom, and I was trying to get myself on my feet. We needed more independence, so we moved into an apartment of our own. Jae’quan was 14 years old when I started my college journey, and my desire is to be an example to him of how to keep pressing forward when life throws challenges your way.
In 2013, when Jae’quan was 13, I hit one of those challenges. I lost my job in corporate America after 13 years at the same company. Jae’quan thought that we were going to be homeless. I promised him that we would not be. After looking for a job for six months and having no success, I decided to apply to attend Springfield Technical Community College. During my last semester, I received some information about the Clemente Course in the Humanities. I wanted to challenge my thinking more, so I applied to the program and was accepted. After finishing the course, one of the professors told me about “this new college” opening up at The Care Center. It sounded so exciting, but I couldn’t attend because I had just started working and was getting my financial footing. Long story short, I quit my job and started attending Bard in August of 2017!
My experience at Bard was unforgettable. My studies there prepared me for the rigorous work at Mount Holyoke College. The small classroom sizes were just what I needed so I could fully focus. There was childcare, healthcare, food, transportation, financial support, and free Chromebooks. With all of that in place, we didn’t have to worry about those potential barriers becoming a distraction.
The Care Center and Bard staff went above and beyond their duties to help me with those little things that made a difference. From giving me a ride to the bus stop when it was raining, to giving me an impromptu tour of Mount Holyoke’s campus, those are special moments that I will always carry with me.
There was so much support at Bard that I’m sure to leave out someone. There was Christine who came onsite to help with the college application and scholarship process. It is such a daunting process, that it may have prevented me from even attempting to apply. Mary Anne Myers, Ann Ward, and Kris Rose were so supportive and made sure I knew that Mount Holyoke was a possibility. I didn’t always believe it. Anne Teschner, cheered me on and gave me the utmost respect. Emily Laufer was my FAFSA “Sherpa” every time I needed to fill out that form. I also wanted to acknowledge my friend Rocky. She passed away in 2018, and was my number one cheerleader. She would be cheering the loudest if she was here!
I ultimately hope that Jae’quan sees what it is to overcome adversity and to do well, even as a mature adult. He is almost 21, and is attending Springfield Technical Community College, so I think that I did something right!
After college, I would love to work in a writing center and also publish a book of poetry. I hope to get my MFA in poetry or creative writing some time in the future. I also would love to help other women who are thinking of attending college, or are on their college journey. I appreciate the help and support that I received along the way, and I have enough experience and knowledge to pay it forward.
