Am I too old to go back to school? It’s a question I raised to my dad when life fell apart in my mid 40’s. “Well, how old will you be in two years if you don’t go back to school?” he mused. Fair point. 2020 ushered in its fair share of grief and fear for so many, and I was most certainly not exempt. Covid. Job loss. Fear. The death of my daughter’s fiancé to suicide. Divorce from my 21-year abusive marriage left me financially vulnerable, having laid the advancement of my own career as a veterinary technician aside to support the advancement of his. It takes so much courage to walk away. Amidst all of the challenges, I did my best to move forward with an overcoming mindset, taking care of myself while also walking alongside my daughter as we both held the grief and pain in our own ways. I started taking online classes in hopes of earning my degree in a way to care for others, combining my knowledge of oral health in veterinary medicine with that of human dentistry. I earned my dental assisting license and started working in an office with doctors, assistants, and hygienists who helped train me and grow my love for the dental field. I could finally see myself advancing my own career and challenging myself to learn even more in a competitive dental hygiene program. As a dental assistant, age and wisdom help me see my patients as whole individuals, carrying with them things I cannot see. I’ve seen and felt their fear in the room, and I’ve been told my calming demeanor has helped them get through treatment. I hope to continue impacting my community in the same way as a dental hygienist, while also empowering others to believe they are never too old to begin again, even amongst challenging life circumstances. They are never too old to call upon courage. But how do we rise up and move forward with real life challenges in the logistics to make it happen? How do we pay for college? As single women, how do we step away from our full-time jobs, sacrificing two years of income to earn a better living for ourselves? It’s hard to ask for help sometimes. It’s not easy to admit we won’t be able to do it on our own. My savings and part-time work during school will allow me to afford living expenses for the next two years. Applying for grants and scholarships is my way of admitting I need some extra help to get through school. As my dad jokingly pointed out, in two years, yes, I’ll be two years older. But each of us gets to choose whether we will stay stagnant or learn and grow in the years ahead. I would like to thank bold.org for considering me and recognizing the financial need that many of us have in returning to school to care for ourselves and others in our communities.