The true world revealed

Weakness is now known to me

Time to go to work
Zero, from Borderlands 2.
I like this quote a lot, and it kind of reminds me of what Ive been through. To me, its saing
when ou know how hard life is, it o!ens our ees and ou get kno"ked down, but afterward
its our #ob to learn and get ba"k u! and work hard in life to get where ou want.
$ name is %e&ndra 'onner and I am the newest graduate from (ar)a. $ost !eo!le know me
b &le*, and #ust as man wonder how I get &le* from %e&ndra. Well, let me e*!lain. $
middle name is &le*is and m grandma has been "alling me &le* sin"e I was born, so, to me,
thats m name and what all have "ome to know me b toda. Ive had a reall long #ourne so
far and have sur!assed man obsta"les, but, of "ourse, its not over et. I feel like I "an
over"ome a lot with the love and su!!ort of m famil, friends, and to boost it all, the ins!iration
of m son. $ son means the world to me and, like an mom+ I #ust want to give him the best,
and everthing Ive never had.
$ life started at (ar)a in ,-.,. I had #ust moved from m dads and I wanted to get a fresh
start. I wanted to move on from what I was going through. I heard about (ar)a from a reall
"lose friend of mine, the told me the thought it would be the best thing for me given m
situation. I looked online and everthing I was hearing about it I loved/ 0o I submitted an
a!!li"ation as soon as !ossible. 1u"k for me, orientation was around the "orner. I got a""e!ted
and was ver ha!! I was getting a fresh start at a new s"hool. When I started here I was a little
s"ared. The students and tea"hers were ver friendl and wel"oming, I onl knew a few !eo!le
but that ended shortl. 'e"ause (ar)a is su"h a friendl s"hool, I made more friends qui"kl
and felt reall "omfortable. I develo!ed a great bond with all m tea"hers, the all felt like famil+
all friendl, su!!ortive, and ver hel!ful when needed with an of m work. I loved them.
& few months after I started, I found out about a "lass the Women2s 0tudies. It was an all3
womens "lass telling the histor and struggle of women. I loved learning about women. It
was great knowing how !owerful we women are and how mu"h we strove, fought, and "on"ord
to have the freedom and !ower we do toda. 'eing in that "lass was a great e*!erien"e and it
still reall hel!s me over"ome some things I am dealing with even toda. It also hel!ed me have
more self3esteem.
I reall en#oed being at (ar)a, but time went b, I got !regnant. I was still attending s"hool, but
as it got "loser to m deliver date I began to have reall bad !ains and "ouldn2t "ontinue
s"hool. I love how the s"hool understood what I was going through. I left and had m son. 4h,
how ha!! I was/ I was a bit s"ared, though, being a first time mom. I took some time off until
m son was older. $ fo"us was all on m son+ I was determined to finish s"hool for him. I knew
I wanted to set a good e*am!le, and also to give m son a great life. I finished m "lasses via
virtual s"hool so I "ould still be at home with m son. &fter I was done, I "ame ba"k to (ar)a to
do m !ortfolio, so I "ould finish and do m star walk. I know Im a ear behind, but I2m so
e*"ited to finall be done with this "ha!ter in m life as a ,-.5 graduate. 6e, Im still finishing
and getting m di!loma. I !lan to start going to &77, ho!efull in the fall. Im not reall sure
what I want to go to s"hool for, but I know there is something out there #ust for me. I know I will
make m son !roud.