Monday, May 10, 2004
1 PERCENT INSPIRATION, 99 PERCENT PERSPIRATION
100 Percent Determination
Congratulations to Joanne Alane Holmes, B.A., Class of ’04, freshly graduated from La Salle University.
If it were mathematically possible to alter the equation in the headline above, Holmes would deserve the dispensation. After all, it took Holmes, 41, Willingboro, N.J., 16 years to earn her bachelor’s degree in social work. Let’s call it 100 percent determination.
Natalie Pompilio reports in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, “She Got Educated by Degrees”:
For Holmes and her mother, Josephine Wade, it was a day of celebration and triumph. Together, they had scrimped and struggled and, ultimately, survived. […]
A high school dropout, she took nine years to earn her associate’s degree from Community College of Philadelphia. She enrolled at La Salle in 1997, juggling classes while raising four children on her own and working multiple jobs. […]
Money was always a problem: Holmes would go to school, then drop out because of the cost. She moved in with her mother. She took out loans, was awarded grants, and it still wasn’t enough. This year, Wade sold some treasured artwork at local flea markets so the family could get by.
And there were personal struggles. Three failed marriages. The 1999 death of her stepfather, a loss that so devastated Holmes she dropped out of school, taking failing grades in all her classes. […]
She wasn’t ready to go back to school until 2002. Her mother was behind her. “We made a commitment to each other,” said Wade, 70. “No matter what, she was going to finish. No matter what.”
Holmes’ grade-point average was 1.67 when she returned. As of yesterday, it was 3.06, and she was a member of the Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society. […]
Through [the graduation exercises], Wade was quiet. […] She hadn’t been to a graduation before, not counting the small ceremony held when a grandson moved from middle school to high school.
Then finally, it happened. “Joanne Alane Holmes,” a voice announced.
The group went wild, cheering, screaming, jumping up and down. Except for Wade. She didn’t scream. She barely moved. She just laughed, her eyes growing wet with tears. […]
“Words can’t describe” is all she said.
Congratulations again, and a belated happy Mother’s Day to both women.
The Rittenhouse Review |
Copyright 2002-2006 | PERMALINK |
|
|
|
| CONTACT |
|
Send E-Mail
JAMES MARTIN CAPOZZOLA
|
|
| BIO & STUFF |
|
James Martin (Jim) Capozzola launched The Rittenhouse Review in April 2002, TRR: The Lighter Side of Rittenhouse, HorowitzWatch, and Smarter Andrew Sullivan in July 2002, and Bulldogs for Kerry-Edwards in October 2004. He is also a contributing member of President Boxer.
He received the 2002 Koufax Award for Best Post> for "Al Gore and the Alpha Girls" (published November 25, 2002). Capozzola's record in the Koufax Awards includes two additional nominations for 2002 (Best Blog and Best Writing), three nominations for 2003 (Best Blog, Best Series, and Best Writing), and two finalist nominations in 2004 (Best Blog and Best Writing).
Capozzola’s experience beyond the blogosphere includes a lengthy career in financial journalism, securities analysis, and investment research, and in freelance writing, editing, ghost-writing, and writing instruction.
He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University at Albany and a master's in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.
Capozzola lives in Philadelphia with his bulldog, Mildred.
|
| PUBLICATION NOTES |
|
Posts pertaining to site developments, news, and updates are subject to deletion and to withdrawal, and with respect thereto, without notice.
~~~~~
Access to linked articles may require registration or subscription.
~~~~~
Linked articles are subject to expiration at the sole discretion of the original publisher.
~~~~~
Letters received by The Rittenhouse Review are subject to publication in full and with complete citation and attribution, including the sender's mailing and/or e-mail address and/or addresses, unless otherwise specifically requested in writing and at the time of submission.
~~~~~
The publisher reserves the right to confirm the identity and/or identities of each, any, and all correspondents through and by whatever means legal and necessary.
~~~~~
Any and all correspondence received and published hereat is subject to editing by the publisher for content, particularly but with no limitations implied thereto, with respect to vulgarity and other offensive language, and length, at the complete, full, and unhindered discretion of same.
~~~~~
The decision to publish each or any correspondence, if at all, rests solely with the publisher of this site.
~~~~~
The publisher retains copyrights to all original material here published and any submissions here received, including correspondence directed hereto, whether or not published hereat, unless otherwise specified.
~~~~~
Obviously, no provision is here made for immediate comments from readers.
~~~~~
All rights reserved and all that.
|
|
|
| LINKS |
|
|
|
|
|