“I’m going to fail!” Mike Thompson cried to himself. Mike was scared and sweating profusely. Enrolling in Friendship Technical Community College (FTCC) had been monumental step. His grandfather had been only an eighth-grade graduate. Mike’s father had graduated from high school. It was with pride that Mike could boast that he was a college student. But he felt like a fraud because he was scared and sweaty.
The other students seemed so intelligent. They seemed to know the answer before he could even understand the question. Mike was falling behind in his classes. He just wasn’t grasping the material, and it was only the second week of classes!
Dreading math, Mike entered the classroom. He felt his muscles becoming tense, his stomach churning, and a headache coming on. It was not any different from the previous three class sessions.
Ms. Caroline Connors was a gifted math instructor. He didn’t want to let her down, nor his family, nor himself, by failing math. But where could he turn to get extra help? Ms. Connors had office hours, but she had limited time to devote to him.
Mike forced himself to enter the classroom. Today, however, Mike felt there was something different. It must be the man in a gray sports coat talking to Ms. Connors. He seemed friendly, intelligent, and confident. Ms. Connors and the man talked enthusiastically about the coming school year and how much they looked forward to teaching the students. Mike felt an instant liking for the man.
Ms. Connors took class roll. Then, smiling, she announced, “We have a special guest today. Mr. Collins is here to talk to you about the services offered by the Student Assistance Center.” Mr. Collins discussed the services offered by the SAC. He discussed the students who came to the SAC and received help in math and how their grades improved dramatically. He talked about the successes that students achieved in other curriculum studies. Mike could feel his body relaxing. He had hope again.
Mr. Collins finished his talk and left the room. Class began. Mike felt better about his prospects of succeeding at FTCC. His realized that because of his anticipation of getting help at the SAC, his thoughts where actually becoming clearer, and for once he was seeing himself as intelligent.
After class, Mike went to the Virtual Learning and Resources building and he found the Student Assistance Center on the second floor. Entering the center, he saw that the room was well-lit and had many tables and computers. Extending his hand, Mr. Dean introduced himself as a math instructor. “Welcome to the Student Assistance Center,” Mr. Dean said with a pleasant smile. He had a friendly voice and a competent look about him. As they seated themselves, Mike could feel his excitement and anticipation building.
Mr. Dean began by getting to know Mike as a person. He had an easy way about him. “What are you studying?” Mr. Dean asked.
“Fractions” Mike sighed. “I’m in Basic Math. Ms. Collins is my teacher.”
“Ah, Ms. Collins is a good instructor. She’s interested in her students’ success” Mr. Dean observed.
“Yes, she is,” Mike sighed, “I want to do well in her class.”
As they began discussing his math course, confusing math problems became clearer. Mr. Dean broke the math problems down into comprehensible parts. It wasn’t long before Mike began to feel the same excitement for math that Mr. Dean communicated.
Day after day, Mike continued to come to the Student Assistance Center. He continued to work with Mr. Dean. Sometimes when Mr. Dean wasn’t available, Mike was tutored by Mr. Lenny, Mr. Hardy, or Ms. Harrison. Each instructor was exceptional.
Mike also received supplemental instruction at the SAC for his other courses. He was given assistance in English, Business Introduction, and Spanish. As the weeks went by, Mike’s grades improved. He gained more confidence. He felt proud of himself.
After two years of study, and hundreds of trips to the SAC, Mike graduated with a degree in Heating and Air-Conditioning. At his graduation, Mike’s parents beamed with pride. Through the crowd of excited students and family, Mike’s grandfather slowly made his way to Mike. With shaky hands, and a quivering voice full of emotion, the old man grasped Mike’s hand and said, “I’m proud of you Mike.” Wiping a tear away, the grandfather walked away, a little straighter, proud to be Mike’s grandfather.
Over the years Mike built a thriving heating and air-conditioning business. He did well providing for his family. He also became a leader in his community. He was the Rotary Club president one-year, Chamber of Commerce treasurer another. He was even elected to the City Council.
People looked up to Mike as a man of integrity. He often marveled that his success had been possible only as a result of all the assistance he had received from the Student Assistance Center instructors.
Twenty-two years after Mike graduated from FTCC, Mary Thompson, Mike’s beautiful and intelligent eighteen-year-old daughter, left home for her first day at Friendship Technical Community College. She was going to pursue a degree in nursing. Mike could tell that Mary was a little worried about leaving for college. “Make friends, study hard, and enjoy yourself” Mike said beaming with pride. “Don’t forget about the Student Assistance Center,” her proud father called after her as Mary backed out of the driveway. Mike knew he would never would.
Short Stories