BGSU Firelands student 斯蒂芬妮·莱恩 overcomes challenges to earn third college degree

作者:Patrick Pfanner

州立鲍灵格林大学 Firelands graduate 斯蒂芬妮·莱恩 personifies self-determined success.

Lane ’22 graduated this fall with an Associate of Applied Science in 刑事司法她在波士顿州立大学获得了第三个学位. 她获得了应用科学副学士学位 人类服务 获得理学学士学位 社会工作 2022年早些时候.

现在, she hopes to take her education further and complete her Master of Social Work and earn a certificate for trauma-informed care by Spring 2024.

“I would love to eventually have a private practice and get my LISW-S in 俄亥俄州, which would allow me to practice as a licensed independent 社会工作er and also supervise 社会工作ers who are getting work experience,莱恩说. “I would also love to be an adjunct professor in 社会工作 at a college someday.”

Lane is a post-traditional student and parent of four who also works for the University as a coordinator for the 学生家长计划. 她公开表示，她是一名遭受虐待的幸存者, which led her to become a licensed 社会工作er for the state of 俄亥俄州.

“我想帮助别人，就像别人帮助我一样，”莱恩说.

克服挑战

莱恩在佛罗里达州的一个单亲家庭长大. At 16, 她搬到了桑达斯基, 俄亥俄州, to leave the challenges of childhood and live with her aunt and uncle. She was set to graduate high school in 1994 but dropped out during her junior year and got married.

That was the start of what Lane describes as more than two decades of hardship that culminated in her becoming a single mother living in a domestic violence shelter.

“I had an extremely limited ability to live my life as I imagined it,莱恩谈到她的婚姻时说, noting she was prohibited from getting a job and had no income when she became single. “I had tears streaming down my face that first morning at the shelter.”

在那个时候，接受教育是一种幻想. 她有账单要付，有孩子要养. Lane received help from assistance services that provided basic needs while she focused on immediate concerns: finding a job and a new place to live.

“收容所的看护人很善良, 理解, 总是愿意倾听, 让我觉得很安全,莱恩说. “不仅仅是庇护所改变了我的人生轨迹, 但也有很多其他机构帮助我走自己的路.”

莱恩最终在一家杂货店开始工作，并再次感到平静. She enrolled at BGSU Firelands in 2019, a few months after she settled into her new apartment.

“I always wanted to go to college; it was a dream,莱恩说.  

大学和职业

Lane went back to school through an adult completion program and earned a high school diploma. From there, she was drawn to the 社会工作 program at BGSU Firelands.

“BGSU was something familiar because my daughter was in college in Bowling Green and one of my other children attended for a while, 太,莱恩说. “我住在休伦, 俄亥俄州, 当我结婚的时候, 所以我一直想去波士顿州立大学的火场.”

莱恩说，她的过去激励她从事社会工作.

Lane’s education experience led to an opportunity to work with other student-parents at BGSU Firelands. She was hired as a 学生家长计划 coordinator after BGSU was awarded an $814,从美国获得了2000万美元的资助.S. 教育部. The Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) program is a federal grant that provides Federal Pell Grant-eligible students who are parents with financial assistance for child care. 

"The CCAMPIS grant and 学生家长计划 are two important 太ls to enhance the success of our students,斯泰西·哈特利说, 项目总监 BGSU校区. "It was important to find a program coordinator who unders太d the needs of student parents and the impact essential 太ls and resources can have on retention and success. Stephanie’s ability to relate to student parents and her resourcefulness in helping them overcome obstacles has been an asset for BGSU."

 作为一名学生和大学员工, Lane had the unique opportunity to quickly apply lessons learned in her 社会工作 program to real-life scenarios.

“I have enjoyed learning new things and working on this side of the college world,莱恩说. “The biggest challenge so far is getting people to see how we can help them.”

Lane and Hartley oversaw the creation of a new student-parent lounge in George Mylander Hall at BGSU Firelands. .

“It’s a safe space for students to bring their kids while they study,莱恩说. “The student parents are so thankful for our assistance and to be heard and seen as a population on campus.”

虽然学生家长助学金是相对较新的, the practice of faculty and staff showing compassion as students overcome challenges has always been a priority.

Lane said many faculty and staff members s太d out during her time as a student and remain positive role models as she continues her career at the college.

“BGSU的教育改变了我对世界的看法和看法，”莱恩说. “The college degrees I have on my wall don’t change who I am at my core. But they do change how I want to make a difference for the people around me.”