Author: Sueyeon Uhm

Highlight: In my country, Korea, it is very unusual to go to college at a later age.

Document Text:
1 It’s Never Too Late --by Sueyeon Uhm “In my country, Korea, it is very unusual to go to college at a later age.” ____________________________________ 2 Community college attended: Manchester Community College Location: Manchester, Connecticut Date success story was submitted: 3 October 2018 Community college sponsor/mentor and college affiliation: Alina Ciscel, ESL Program Coordinator, Manchester Community College Key search terms: Returning adult student, changing careers, retraining, immigrant, English as a Second Language, ESL, Korean, parent Academic major: Culinary Arts Everyone has a dream in his or her childhood. Some may have made the dreams come true; some may have changed their dreams for some reasons. There are many options in life, and nobody knows which one will be the perfect choice. People who have spent a long time to set their goals might think it was a waste of time. So did I. However, after realizing that the earliest time to start something new is when I think I am late, I made up my mind to start studying at MCC. I believe it may be late, but it is never too late. My dream was to be a violinist when I was little. I was an introverted and very shy girl (actually I am still shy), and violin was my best friend. I liked to play the violin rather than be around people. However, unfortunately I got into a severe car accident when I was 18 and could not practice violin anymore. Although I had several surgeries on the right shoulder and elbows, pain still bothered me occasionally, and it made me suffer from depression for a long time. Even worse, other health problems kept following me after giving birth to two children. I suffered from postpartum depression and some chronic diseases, and I got another surgery in my early 30s. After the surgery, I realized how important healthy life is, and I began to 3 dream of living in US to give a better environment to my children. In 2012, my family immigrated to the United States, and it’s been six years already. I have a friend who already took some classes at MCC and recommended me first to go to this school. It was last year, and my answer was “No, I can’t.” I did not even know what a community college is, and thought I was too old to start studying something new, because in my country, Korea, it is very unusual to go to college at a later age. Even worse, I am a working mother with two little children. I just thought going to college in the USA was impossible for me. However, my friend kept encouraging me and told me that at a community college, there are many adult students who are even older than me; besides, the tuition is more reasonable than in a four-year college. Without her encouragement, I would not be here today studying to become a chef. I have been enjoying cooking at home since I was little. When I was 23 years old, I worked in a Korean restaurant kitchen for about 10 months. My friend’s parents owned the restaurant, and she suggested to me to work there since they were hiring for a part-time kitchen helper job. Working in a restaurant kitchen was much harder than I ever imagined, but it was fun. Working as a kitchen helper is a hard and a simple job, so I decided to go to school to study to become a professional chef. After enrolling in a certificate program in Culinary Arts at MCC, I had a tour of Culinary Arts Center, which has an amazing kitchen, and it made me eagerly want to learn 4 Chive dumplings many things at the kitchen to make my dream come true. I had to start with only one ESL class this semester because I was not eligible for other classes until I pass ESL. I made up my mind to go slowly, gradually, to improve my English for college level, and now the semester is almost finished. Time flies! I remember the first day of class when I was nervous. I had not been in a classroom for almost 20 years, and I was not sure if I was ready. As time went on, I 5 could adapt myself to the class, but I have been struggling with managing my time between studying, working, and taking care of my children. Between my roles as a mother and a student, everything has been challenging, and I did not know how I managed to devote as much time to studying. However, I believe in myself and managing my time has become easier. Grilled salmon and sautéed vegetables with low-fat Hollandise sauce 6 After I graduate from MCC, I want to open a small and cozy bakery café serving bread, dessert, and brunch. I want to make food that makes people happy. I know it will be a long journey, but I will keep doing my best. “Age is just a state of mind” – this is my favorite famous saying. If I give up thinking that it is too late to start something new, I will regret it 5 or 10 years later just like I was envious of twenty-year-old people when I was in my thirties. To have something you have never had before, you must make every effort you have never done. Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. 7 Creole style Jambalaya