Module 2 Discussion 1Your two (2) posts should be at least 100 w.docx

Module 2 Discussion 1
Your two (2) posts should be at least 100 words. Since this
discussion board does not have a word count, you may want to
type your response in a Word document and then copy and paste
it directly into your reply. You must also respond to two
classmates' posts with response of at least 50 words. I will not
be quite as strict about the word count for these replies, but "I
agree" or "I disagree" is not acceptable.
Read the following works:
“There Never Was a Golden Key or Limousine"
“Taking on Mountains"
Answer two (2) of the following questions and identify which
question you are responding to in your answer:
1. Choose what you see as the most memorable aspect of one of
the two readings above. What made this part of the story so
memorable for you? What type of descriptions or language did
the writer use that helped make this part of the story so
memorable? Be specific.
2. Choose one of the stories and identify the following using
specific examples from the reading you selected:
Any exposition
The inciting incident
The climax
The resolution
3. How does “There Never Was a Golden Key or Limousine" fit
the literacy narrative genre? Think about the characteristics of a
narrative as described in the PowerPoint presentation. Which
characteristics did you notice in this story. Provide examples.

4. Identify three sensory images in “Taking on Mountains."
How do these images help the reader picture what is taking
place in the narrative? Be specific.
Search entries or author
discussion board does not have a word count,
you may want to type your response in a Word document and
then copy and paste it directly into your
reply. You must also
respond to two classmates' posts with response of at least 50
words. I will not be
quite as strict about the word count for these replies, but "I
“There Never Was a Golden Key or Limou
sine"
question you are responding to in your
answer:
the two readings above. What made

this part of the story so memorable for you? What type of
descriptions or language did the writer use
that helped make this part of the story so memorable? Be s
pecific.
specific examples
from the reading you
selected:
Any exposition
The climax
The resolution
the litera
cy narrative genre? Think about
the characteristics of a narrative as described in the PowerPoint
presentation. Which characteristics did
you notice in this story. Provide examples.
How do these
images help the reader picture
what is taking place in the narrative? Be specific.

discussion board does not have a word count,
you may want to type your response in a Word document and
then copy and paste it directly into your
reply. You must also respond to two classmates' posts with
response of at least 50 words. I will not be
quite as strict about the word count for these replies, but "I
“There Never Was a Golden Key or Limousine"
question you are responding to in your
answer:
the two readings above. What made
this part of the story so memorable for you? What type of
descriptions or language did the writer use
that helped make this part of the story so memorable? Be
specific.
specific examples from the reading you
selected:
Any exposition
The climax
The resolution
the literacy narrative genre? Think about
the characteristics of a narrative as described in the PowerPoint

presentation. Which characteristics did
you notice in this story. Provide examples.
How do these images help the reader picture
what is taking place in the narrative? Be specific.
Quiz 4
1) Use appropriate algorithmic way to justify if A is invertible.
Find �−� if
that exists by using the algorithm. (6 points)
A = [
� � � �
� � � �
� � � �
� � � �
]
Now answer the followings with explanation:
(i) Is �� invertible? If so write it’s inverse without any
elementary row
operation.

(ii) Let B and C be any two invertible 4x4 matrix. How many
solutions
does the equation (��)�� = � have?
2) Does the columns of the following matrix span ��? [ DO
NOT USE ROW
OPERATION]
[
� � � −� −� �
� � � −� −� �
� � � −� −� �
� � � −� −� �
� � � −� −� �
� � � −� −� �]
(Hint: Use some definition and some theorem) (4 points)
3) Let A be the Matrix of the Linear Transformation T:�� →
�� given by

T ((��, ��, ��, ��, ��, ��)
= (�� − ��, ��, �� − ��, ��, �� − ��, ��) .
(5 points)
Is T invertible? If so find a formula for �−� as in the form of
T. [ DO NOT
USE ROW OPERATION]
.
Ch. VII in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
CHAPTER VII
I lived in Master Hugh's family about seven years. During this
time, I succeeded in learning to read and write. In
accomplishing this, I was compelled to resort to various
stratagems. I had no regular teacher. My mistress, who had
kindly commenced to instruct me, had, in compliance with the
advice and direction of her husband, not only ceased to instruct,
but had set her face against my being instructed by any one else.
It is due, however, to my mistress to say of her, that she did not
adopt this course of treatment immediately. She at first lacked
the depravity indispensable to shutting me up in mental
darkness. It was at least necessary for her to have some training
in the exercise of irresponsible power, to make her equal to the
task of treating me as though I were a brute.
My mistress was, as I have said, a kind and tender-hearted
woman; and in the simplicity of her soul she commenced, when
I first went to live with her, to treat me as she supposed one
human being ought to treat another. In entering upon the duties
of a slaveholder, she did not seem to perceive that I sustained to
her the relation of a mere chattel, and that for her to treat me as

a human being was not only wrong, but dangerously so. Slavery
proved as injurious to her as it did to me. When I went there,
she was a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was
no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear. She had
bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for
every mourner that came within her reach. Slavery soon proved
its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its
influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike
disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness. The first
step in her downward course was in her ceasing to instruct me.
She now commenced to practise her husband's precepts. She
finally became even more violent in her opposition than her
husband himself. She was not satisfied with simply doing as
well as he had commanded; she seemed anxious to do better.
Nothing seemed to make her more angry than to see me with a
newspaper. She seemed to think that here lay the danger. I have
had her rush at me with a face made all up of fury, and snatch
from me a newspaper, in a manner that fully revealed her
apprehension. She was an apt woman; and a little experience
soon demonstrated, to her satisfaction, that education and
slavery were incompatible with each other.
From this time I was most narrowly watched. If I was in a
separate room any considerable length of time, I was sure to be
suspected of having a book, and was at once called to give an
account of myself. All this, however, was too late. The first step
had been taken. Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given
me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking
the ell.
The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most
successful, was that of making friends of all the little white
boys whom I met in the street. As many of these as I could, I
converted into teachers. With their kindly aid, obtained at
different times and in different places, I finally succeeded in
learning to read. When I was sent of errands, I always took my
book with me, and by going one part of my errand quickly, I
found time to get a lesson before my return. I used also to carry

bread with me, enough of which was always in the house, and to
which I was always welcome; for I was much better off in this
regard than many of the poor white children in our
neighborhood. This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry
little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable
bread of knowledge. I am strongly tempted to give the names of
two or three of those little boys, as a testimonial of the
gratitude and affection I bear them; but prudence forbids;—not
that it would injure me, but it might embarrass them; for it is
almost an unpardonable offence to teach slaves to read in this
Christian country. It is enough to say of the dear little fellows,
that they lived on Philpot Street, very near Durgin and Bailey's
ship-yard. I used to talk this matter of slavery over with them. I
would sometimes say to them, I wished I could be as free as
they would be when they got to be men. "You will be free as
soon as you are twenty-one, but I am a slave for life! Have not I
as good a right to be free as you have?" These words used to
trouble them; they would express for me the liveliest sympathy,
and console me with the hope that something would occur by
which I might be free.
I was now about twelve years old, and the thought of being a
slave for life began to bear heavily upon my heart. Just about
this time, I got hold of a book entitled "The Columbian Orator."
Every opportunity I got, I used to read this book. Among much
of other interesting matter, I found in it a dialogue between a
master and his slave. The slave was represented as having run
away from his master three times. The dialogue represented the
conversation which took place between them, when the slave
was retaken the third time. In this dialogue, the whole argument
in behalf of slavery was brought forward by the master, all of
which was disposed of by the slave. The slave was made to say
some very smart as well as impressive things in reply to his
master—things which had the desired though unexpected effect;
for the conversation resulted in the voluntary emancipation of
the slave on the part of the master.
In the same book, I met with one of Sheridan's mighty speeches

on and in behalf of Catholic emancipation. These were choice
documents to me. I read them over and over again with unabated
interest. They gave tongue to interesting thoughts of my own
soul, which had frequently flashed through my mind, and died
away for want of utterance. The moral which I gained from the
dialogue was the power of truth over the conscience of even a
slaveholder. What I got from Sheridan was a bold denunciation
of slavery, and a powerful vindication of human rights. The
reading of these documents enabled me to utter my thoughts,
and to meet the arguments brought forward to sustain slavery;
but while they relieved me of one difficulty, they brought on
another even more painful than the one of which I was relieved.
The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my
enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of
successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to
Africa, and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land
reduced us to slavery. I loathed them as being the meanest as
well as the most wicked of men. As I read and contemplated the
subject, behold! that very discontentment which Master Hugh
had predicted would follow my learning to read had already
come, to torment and sting my soul to unutterable anguish. As I
writhed under it, I would at times feel that learning to read had
been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of
my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes
to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out. In
moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity.
I have often wished myself a beast. I preferred the condition of
the meanest reptile to my own. Any thing, no matter what, to
get rid of thinking! It was this everlasting thinking of my
condition that tormented me. There was no getting rid of it. It
was pressed upon me by every object within sight or hearing,
animate or inanimate. The silver trump of freedom had roused
my soul to eternal wakefulness. Freedom now appeared, to
disappear no more forever. It was heard in every sound, and
seen in every thing. It was ever present to torment me with a
sense of my wretched condition. I saw nothing without seeing

it, I heard nothing without hearing it, and felt nothing without
feeling it. It looked from every star, it smiled in every calm,
breathed in every wind, and moved in every storm.
I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing
myself dead; and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt
but that I should have killed myself, or done something for
which I should have been killed. While in this state of mind, I
was eager to hear any one speak of slavery. I was a ready
listener. Every little while, I could hear something about the
abolitionists. It was some time before I found what the word
meant. It was always used in such connections as to make it an
interesting word to me. If a slave ran away and succeeded in
getting clear, or if a slave killed his master, set fire to a barn, or
did any thing very wrong in the mind of a slaveholder, it was
spoken of as the fruit of abolition. Hearing the word in this
connection very often, I set about learning what it meant. The
dictionary afforded me little or no help. I found it was "the act
of abolishing;" but then I did not know what was to be
abolished. Here I was perplexed. I did not dare to ask any one
about its meaning, for I was satisfied that it was something they
wanted me to know very little about. After a patient waiting, I
got one of our city papers, containing an account of the number
of petitions from the north, praying for the abolition of slavery
in the District of Columbia, and of the slave trade between the
States. From this time I understood the words abolition and
abolitionist, and always drew near when that word was spoken,
expecting to hear something of importance to myself and
fellow-slaves. The light broke in upon me by degrees. I went
one day down on the wharf of Mr. Waters; and seeing two
Irishmen unloading a scow of stone, I went, unasked, and
helped them. When we had finished, one of them came to me
and asked me if I were a slave. I told him I was. He asked, "Are
ye a slave for life?" I told him that I was. The good Irishman
seemed to be deeply affected by the statement. He said to the
other that it was a pity so fine a little fellow as myself should
be a slave for life. He said it was a shame to hold me. They both

advised me to run away to the north; that I should find friends
there, and that I should be free. I pretended not to be interested
in what they said, and treated them as if I did not understand
them; for I feared they might be treacherous. White men have
been known to encourage slaves to escape, and then, to get the
reward, catch them and return them to their masters. I was
afraid that these seemingly good men might use me so; but I
nevertheless remembered their advice, and from that time I
resolved to run away. I looked forward to a time at which it
would be safe for me to escape. I was too young to think of
doing so immediately; besides, I wished to learn how to write,
as I might have occasion to write my own pass. I consoled
myself with the hope that I should one day find a good chance.
Meanwhile, I would learn to write.
The idea as to how I might learn to write was suggested to me
by being in Durgin and Bailey's ship-yard, and frequently
seeing the ship carpenters, after hewing, and getting a piece of
timber ready for use, write on the timber the name of that part
of the ship for which it was intended. When a piece of timber
was intended for the larboard side, it would be marked thus—
"L." When a piece was for the starboard side, it would be
marked thus—"S." A piece for the larboard side forward, would
be marked thus—"L. F." When a piece was for starboard side
forward, it would be marked thus—"S. F." For larboard aft, it
would be marked thus—"L. A." For starboard aft, it would be
marked thus—"S. A." I soon learned the names of these letters,
and for what they were intended when placed upon a piece of
timber in the ship-yard. I immediately commenced copying
them, and in a short time was able to make the four letters
named. After that, when I met with any boy who I knew could
write, I would tell him I could write as well as he. The next
word would be, "I don't believe you. Let me see you try it." I
would then make the letters which I had been so fortunate as to
learn, and ask him to beat that. In this way I got a good many
lessons in writing, which it is quite possible I should never have
gotten in any other way. During this time, my copy-book was

the board fence, brick wall, and pavement; my pen and ink was
a lump of chalk. With these, I learned mainly how to write. I
then commenced and continued copying the Italics in Webster's
Spelling Book, until I could make them all without looking on
the book. By this time, my little Master Thomas had gone to
school, and learned how to write, and had written over a number
of copy-books. These had been brought home, and shown to
some of our near neighbors, and then laid aside. My mistress
used to go to class meeting at the Wilk Street meetinghouse
every Monday afternoon, and leave me to take care of the
house. When left thus, I used to spend the time in writing in the
spaces left in Master Thomas's copy-book, copying what he had
written. I continued to do this until I could write a hand very
similar to that of Master Thomas. Thus, after a long, tedious
effort for years, I finally succeeded in learning how to write.
CHAPTER VII
time, I succeeded in learning to read and
write. In accomplishing this, I was compelled to resort to
various stratagems. I had no regular teacher.
My mistress, who had kindly commenced to instr
uct me, had, in compliance with the advice and
direction of her husband, not only ceased to instruct, but had set
her face against my being instructed
by any one else. It is due, however, to my mistress to say of her,
that she did not adopt this course of
treatment immediately. She at first lacked the depravity

indispensable to shutting me up in mental
in the exercise of irresponsible power,
to make her equal to the task of treating me as tho
ugh I were a brute.
My mistress was, as I have said, a kind and tender
-
hearted woman; and in the simplicity of her soul she
commenced, when I first went to live with her, to treat me as
she supposed one human being ought to
treat another. In entering upon
the duties of a slaveholder, she did not seem to perceive that I
sustained
to her the relation of a mere chattel, and that for her to treat me
as a human being was not only wrong,
but dangerously so. Slavery proved as injurious to her as it did
to me. Whe
n I went there, she was a
pious, warm, and tender
-
hearted woman. There was no sorrow or suffering for which she
had not a
tear. She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and
comfort for every mourner that came
within her reach. Slavery soon prov
ed its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its
disposition gave way to one of tiger
-
like
fierceness. The first step in her downward course was in her
ceasing to instruct me. Sh
e now
commenced to practise her husband's precepts. She finally

became even more violent in her opposition
than her husband himself. She was not satisfied with simply
doing as well as he had commanded; she
seemed anxious to do better. Nothing seemed to mak
e her more angry than to see me with a
had her rush at me with a face made all
up of fury, and snatch from me a newspaper, in a manner that
fully revealed her apprehension. She was
an apt woma
n; and a little experience soon demonstrated, to her satisfaction,
that education and
separate room any considerable length of
time, I was sure to be susp
ected of having a book, and was at once called to give an
account of myself.
All this, however, was too late. The first step had been taken.
Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had
given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from
taking the el
l.
successful, was that of making friends of all
the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many of these
as I could, I converted into teachers.
With their kindly aid, obtained at different
times and in different places, I finally succeeded in learning to
read. When I was sent of errands, I always took my book with
me, and by going one part of my errand
quickly, I found time to get a lesson before my return. I used
also to carry bread with m

e, enough of
which was always in the house, and to which I was always
welcome; for I was much better off in this
neighborhood. This bread I used to bestow upon the
CHAPTER VII
time, I succeeded in learning to read and
write. In accomplishing this, I was compelled to resort to
various stratagems. I had no regular teacher.
My mistress, who had kindly commenced to instruct me, had, in
compliance with the advice and
direction of her husband, not only ceased to instruct, but had set
her face against my being instructed
by any one else. It is due, however, to my mistress to say of her,
that she did not adopt this course of
treatment immediately. She at first lacked the depravity
indispensable to shutting me up in mental
in the exercise of irresponsible power,
to make her equal to the task of treating me as though I were a
brute.
My mistress was, as I have said, a kind and tender-hearted
woman; and in the simplicity of her soul she
commenced, when I first went to live with her, to treat me as
she supposed one human being ought to
treat another. In entering upon the duties of a slaveholder, she
did not seem to perceive that I sustained
to her the relation of a mere chattel, and that for her to treat me
as a human being was not only wrong,
but dangerously so. Slavery proved as injurious to her as it did
to me. When I went there, she was a
pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was no sorrow

or suffering for which she had not a
tear. She had bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and
comfort for every mourner that came
within her reach. Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of
these heavenly qualities. Under its
disposition gave way to one of tiger-like
fierceness. The first step in her downward course was in her
ceasing to instruct me. She now
commenced to practise her husband's precepts. She finally
became even more violent in her opposition
than her husband himself. She was not satisfied with simply
doing as well as he had commanded; she
seemed anxious to do better. Nothing seemed to make her more
angry than to see me with a
had her rush at me with a face made all
up of fury, and snatch from me a newspaper, in a manner that
fully revealed her apprehension. She was
an apt woman; and a little experience soon demonstrated, to her
satisfaction, that education and
separate room any considerable length of
time, I was sure to be suspected of having a book, and was at
once called to give an account of myself.
All this, however, was too late. The first step had been taken.
Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had
given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from
taking the ell.
successful, was that of making friends of all
the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many of these
as I could, I converted into teachers.
With their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in
different places, I finally succeeded in learning to

read. When I was sent of errands, I always took my book with
me, and by going one part of my errand
quickly, I found time to get a lesson before my return. I used
also to carry bread with me, enough of
which was always in the house, and to which I was always
welcome; for I was much better off in this
neighborhood. This bread I used to bestow upon the
Wink: An Online Journal
Narrative Essay: Todd Reschke
Instructor: Linda Duffy
1
Taking on Mountains
I can remember the day vividly. I had awoke early that
Saturday morning and made myself a strong pot
of Starbuck’s Classic Roast. Normally, I put two and half
scoops of grounds in, but today I put in an extra
scoop, figuring the extra caffeine would give me a helping hand
in the event that was about to unfold.
Pouring my first cup of java, I glanced over at the closed shades
to see the sun’s rays filtering through.
With my fresh cup of coffee in my grasp, I traipsed across the
kitchen floor towards the window. Pulling
the blinds open, the sun hit my face with the warmth and
brightness of its morning summer rays. I knew
that this was going to be a perfect day to complete my
challenge.

Today was the day that I was going to ride my mountain bike to
the top of Granddad’s Bluff. It was not
going to be an easy task, but I knew that if I pushed myself I
would succeed. This was the same hill that
my friends said I was crazy for wanting to ride my bike up. The
narrow, paved road climbs quickly up the
side of the bluff as it meanders back and forth with its hairpin
turns. It is only about a mile and a half to
the top but because of the steepness, it would probably feel
more like 5 miles. Crazy or not there was no
turning back now because I had the idea in my head and I
wasn’t going to be satisfied with myself until I
was on the top of that bluff.
I quickly slurped down my cup of coffee followed by one more
and began to gear up for my next big
adventure. As I put my shorts and jersey on, thoughts of how
good it was going to feel to finally
accomplish this goal of mine crossed my mind. I felt like a kid
who was going to run his first foot race
against his cousin again. The anticipation and excitement of
this upcoming challenge created an
adrenalin rush throughout my body. Now oblivious to the
world around me, I pictured myself going
through the motions like it was already happening. As I
buckled my helmet and headed out the door, I
knew I was now prepared.
The morning air was like a cold washcloth against my skin as I
rode towards the base of the mountain.
Although the sun was slowly climbing, it had not had enough
time to heat the air yet. As I glanced
towards the top of the mountain, I could see the flag on top of
the rocky point wavering slightly from the
morning breeze. I was like a teenager riding his new BMX bike
that he finally gotten for his birthday, as

fast as his legs would possibly carry him. Crossing over the
railroad tracks my challenge began.
I hit the first incline like Lance Armstrong competing in the
Tour de France. My speed quickly slowed to a
crawl as I powered myself up the bluff. My chain made a
smooth mechanical sound as it moved from the
larger to the smaller gear, making it easier to turn the pedals.
This in turn made my cadence quicken. My
legs moved like two pistons, moving up and down creating a
force that turned my wheels and carried me
closer to conquering this challenge.
As I completed the first corner, my legs began to feel like a
thousand tiny needles were pricking them. All
I could do was block this feeling out by imagining how good it
was going to feel when I reached the top.
Sweat now started to bead up on my forehead, and I could feel
it stream down my face into my eye. It felt
like someone stuck his or her finger directly into my eye socket.
I removed my glasses with one hand;
steadying my bike with the other and tried the best I could to
wipe my eye with my sweaty forearm. While
my eye still stung, I could see enough to continue, so I put my
glasses back on my face and continued up
the hill.
It seemed like hours until I reached a rock outcropping that I
had chosen earlier as a halfway point, but it
was actually more like minutes. As I continued to pedal, I no
longer had any feeling left in my legs. The
only way I knew they were still attached to my body was by
looking down and seeing them turning the
pedals beneath me. My shorts and jersey were saturated with
sweat so much so that it felt like I had just
jumped into a lake. Sweat now ran off every part of my body

like a river. I could taste the salty liquid on
Narrative Essay: Todd Reschke
Instructor: Linda Duffy
2
my mouth as I pushed myself upward. My sunglasses had
fogged up so badly that I had to remove them
and put them into my pocket in order to see the road.
As I turned the fourth corner, I knew that I was almost to the
top. My heart was pounding out of my
chest. It rang in my head like a gong as it pumped blood
throughout my fatigued body. I could start to
see the hill gradually cresting at the top. This meant I was
almost there. My legs were now struggling to
turn the pedals, but I knew that I couldn’t give up. I knew this
was when I had to dig deep down inside
and ask myself how much I wanted this. I was like a marathon
runner at mile 22 with 4 more to go. This
was it. It was go time.
Struggling over the crest of the hill, I could see a clearing
through the trees. I knew that this was my final
leg. Now rather than a physical challenge, it was becoming a
mental challenge. It was mind over
matter. This is where I had to ask myself. Do I quit now or do
I power through? As I got closer to the
clearing, the road began to level out. My legs seemed to be
moving faster now than at the beginning. I

finally reached the top and coasted through the clearing,
completing what I had set out to do.
As I stood at the top looking down the road that I had just come,
a feeling of accomplishment came over
me. I felt as though I was on top of the world. I stood there for
a few minutes just reflecting back on the
ride up and how good it felt to finish this challenge. I knew
then what people meant when they talked
about having a “runners high”, the feeling that runners get after
completing a long run.
Although this bike ride happened in under a half hour, it has
had a huge impact on how I view other
challenges in life. I now look at many life challenges like this
bike ride. Having a little determination can
conquer mountains in life. For example, recently I decided to
return to college and receive my Associates
of Applied Science degree in Architectural Technology. I now
look at this challenge the same way as my
bike ride up the bluff. As my Uncle Arlen stated about many
challenges in life, “It’s uphill and into the
wind for awhile, but the view is great once you crest the hill.”
April 2, 2006
Reflection Essay: Justin S.
Instructor: Amery Bodelson

1
There Was Never a Golden Key or a Limousine
by Justin S.
People who know about addiction will say it takes at least six
months for the mental fog to lift
from a recovering person’s brain. I am a recovering alcoholic
and can relate to that estimate.
Through sixteen chaotic years, I had considered returning to
school a handful of times, but it
never happened. I would apply online, pay the application fee,
complete the FAFSA, and then
nothing would materialize. One time I even chewed out an
admissions counselor for not
following up on an application. It was as though I expected the
school’s best people to come
running to my door with the golden key, like they should race
me off in a limousine and escort
me into the classroom. Well, the limousine never showed up.
It was the middle of October in 2013. My head was foggy, and
I was tired. I had just arrived at
an inpatient treatment center. With only two days of sobriety, I
sat at a table filling out
paperwork. A worker asked why I chose La Crosse. After a
brief pause I replied, “The fishing
here is good, and the people are more down to earth. Also,
going back to school would be
great. I never thought I would need college when I was growing
up. I wouldn’t be able to
handle it anyway.” The worker laughed and described his
return to school as an adult. He said

that school was a lot different when he was older. The teachers
were there to teach him, not
to punish him. He said that they actually wanted him to
succeed. That conversation kick
started my pursuit of higher education.
“Where do I start?” I was soon on Western’s website. “Ok, it’s
here, now what? What do I
apply for?” I scrolled through the programs. “This one looks
interesting. How am I supposed
to know what to pick?” No immediate answers. Frustration was
setting in. Nothing seemed
clear. It was relative to my train of thought. My mind needed a
break. It was time to focus on
the most important thing, my recovery.
A few days had gone by. I was nine days sober. My body was
fighting withdrawal and the
activities at the treatment center consumed the day. It was
exhausting. Suddenly, an inner
force encouraged me to revisit the website that had me tripped
up before. The bio-medical
electronics program looked intriguing and seemed to be a fit.
“Bio-med it is.” I made an
appointment to meet with the program advisor. “That’s
progress.” I made the call to have my
high school transcripts sent to Western. “Check! Another thing
was off my list. Next?” I soon
found the FAFSA and that was complete.
The next day I was off to campus to meet with the bio-med
enrollment advisor. “The program
is full? What in the heck am I supposed to do now?” I was
discouraged. Heading back home, I
reflected on what the advisor had to say. She provided
direction for my next steps, but a lot

was still in question. I had enough for that day. A lot was
going on with recovery, and a break
was in order anyway.
2
After some downtime, I tackled it again, but with a clearer
head. Electromechanical technology
was my choice. The thought of a program that taught the inner
workings of robotics, drive
systems, and electronic controls seemed intense. It was
intriguing since I had a lot of
experience with mechanical and electronic repair. “Ok, now
that’s set.” I was making progress.
I scheduled an appointment for the next day to complete a
general testing session. I needed to
find out what I had slept through in high school.
Testing went by quickly the next day. Afterward, I met with a
learning support advisor. I was
shocked to hear that my results were beyond high school level.
I was definitely ready for the
compass placement test. “I have a chance after all!” The
advisor recommended scheduling the
test as soon as possible. He added that registration was quickly
approaching. I had a renewed
sense of confidence as I walked upstairs to schedule the

appointments.
The presence of doom lurked in the days that preceded the tests.
The online practice exams
were showing poor results, and inferiority was striking deep. I
spent the evening before each
session of the compass studying and bringing the practice score
up. The studying really paid
off! I nailed every test, one by one! Another meeting with the
advisor lifted my spirits and
provided a rough estimate of a class schedule.
I was 49 days into my sobriety. Focus shifted to the ALEKS
math program. A total of 35 hours
went into that online program. That was the last step needed to
fulfill the program
requirements. Finally, a taste of success. It was difficult to
balance study time with the
scheduled programming at the treatment center, but it was
rewarding once complete.
A few days passed and it was time for one more trip to the
campus. A meeting with the
financial aid advisor brought comfort that morning. I found out
that tuition was within reach.
The advisor encouraged me to get my student ID card before
leaving campus. She directed me
to the building across the street, where an office worker made
the card on the spot. It was
then that it hit me. I was officially a student! The card in my
hand was proof! My life had come
from within moments of death. Now I had a purpose and a
positive outlook on life.
My time was complete at the treatment center, and I found a
new home. Both were welcomed
changes. It was finally time to rest. The new living situation

was not what most people would
consider ideal, but rent included everything needed to survive.
Life was good. There was just
one more feat left to complete my goal. I needed to get through
that first day of classes.
A couple weeks had passed. School was just around the corner.
I was sitting in my room the
night before the first class when a text message popped up on
my phone. I laughed as I read
the message. Western had cancelled school for the next day!
The weather was too cold! I
would have given anything for that news when I was in high
school! “Ah well, what’s another
day, right?”
3
It was a cold morning on January 7, 2014. The real first day of
classes had arrived. I walked
through the doors of the Coleman Center and made my way
down the hall to room 142. Seeing
the other students in the hall waiting to start class brought on a
calming sensation. My life had
made a positive turn, and my thought process had immensely
improved. I was sober almost
three months and countless changes for the better had occurred
in that time. I felt like nothing

could bring me down. I had never realized my potential for
progress and had underestimated
my ability to cope with the stress of making it happen. Through
it all, I maintained sobriety. I
was ready to continue my new life as a student, eagerly in the
pursuit of higher education.

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