CMC grad goes from waitress to geologist and on to a Ph.D.
Being a single mother, Sally Potter knew that she needed to find a way to provide for her entire family. She wanted to somehow advance her career and in turn, meet her own personal satisfaction needs. Her job as a cook at a local restaurant seemed to be enjoyable, yet geology was constantly on her mind. Sally had always dreamed of one day becoming a scientist.
Sally realized that a life-altering action needed to take place. Though she had always been interested in earth science, Sally didn’t think it was possible to pursue a career in that direction from her home in Basalt, Colorado. College seemed so far out of her short grasp.
Her finances as well as her location seemed determined to hold her back. How could Sally afford to take classes, while still working and being close enough to home to be there for her children?
Sally began to research higher education options. She realized that her ultimate goal was to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in geology, so where to start? Sally recalls that Colorado Mountain College, “offered a personalized, in-depth head start.” Sally remembers the college being “just the right price for a single mother,” and convenient too. It was a mere half hour drive from her home to Colorado Mountain College at Glenwood Springs-Spring Valley. The situation seemed like a perfect fit.
When first attending CMC, Sally was immediately surprised and overjoyed at the friendly and personal environment she was instantly a part of. All her classes were relatively small and students were encouraged to share their opinions through constant interaction. Sally said the “atmosphere in classes was supportive – questions and discussion were encouraged.” Sally felt that the educational structure forced her to actually learn and apply the material that was being taught to her.
Two years after taking on a full-time load at CMC, Sally received her Associate of Science degree from Colorado Mountain College in 2004. Soon after, she transferred to Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado. There, her credits were accepted and she began to work towards her Bachelor’s degree. When moving to attend a larger school, Sally remembers missing the one-on-one interaction between the students and faculty. Sally says that “at four-year colleges or universities, lower division classes are typically large lectures, which can be intimidating and help with the material may not be as readily available.”
In 2006, Sally accomplished her life-long dream of receiving her Bachelor’s degree in geology. Looking back she began to understand how Colorado Mountain College advanced her placement in a larger university setting. She also saved a great deal of money by attending CMC before transferring. Proud and determined, following her graduation from Mesa State, Sally decided to continue her educational experience. Sally attended the University of Utah where she received her Masters of Science in 2009.
“I am so grateful to the faculty and counseling staff at CMC for their encouragement,” says Sally. “They helped me to realize that I was able to become a geologist and that I was good at it!” Recently, Sally has been encouraging her friends and family to attend Colorado Mountain College, hoping they would enjoy the experience as much as she did. A close friend of Sally’s is currently enrolled at CMC and was motivated by Sally’s story. When considering whether to attend the community college, Sally told her to “do it today!” And that she would not regret the decision.
Currently a PhD student at the University of Utah, Sally will never forget where it all began. Her goal is to “ become a professor/researcher at a University in the field of geology with applications to astrobiology origins of life in the universe.” Sally is also working on cross-disciplinary research for her dissertation, which includes geology, geochemistry, and microbiology with applications for planetary science.
The Colorado Mountain College environment supported Sally’s aspirations and helped better both her personal life as well as the quality of living for her family. Now it seems as if the possibilities are endless.