Dear Dick,
I just wanted to state, with all of my heart, how grateful I am that you have made my life an adventure. For allowing me, in my innocence, to believe that hard work is rewarded, thereby gifting me with the chance to learn from trials and tribulations and become stronger for it. You’re probably wondering what I am referring to. Let me enlighten you.
A long time ago, longer than I’d like to admit, I was given a small amount of financial aid. My mother had quit working in order to go back to school and thus was considered “unemployed.” This choice of hers coincided with my graduation from high school, allowing me the chance to have some financial aid for that first year of college.
Having moved out on my own at 19, from that point on, I scrimped and saved and worked to support myself. The financial aid given to me had provided that initial boost and from there I remained independent, providing for myself while paying for school out of pocket.
Now, at 24, I turned to you again Sir Dick for help. Well, actually I attempted to apply for financial aid a few years ago only to discover that in order to be considered an independent, you have to be 24 or older, even though my family now resided in another state. Therefore I decided to sit and wait, with patience cooling my heels.
Only to have you pull the rug out from under me again, Mr. Dick.
“You are too close to graduating,” I heard you mutter under your breath, never making eye contact, “and it doesn’t matter if you’ve realized that your major is nontransferrable and thus want to double major in order to change the situation. The only thing that you can do is see a counselor and get a recommendation so that they might consider you. Oh and, by the way, you have a new one and their office is at another campus.”
“Regrettably I have no vehicle,” I stated imploringly. But you neither batted an eye nor allowed a look of concern to touch your face.
Them’s the facts, or so they say.
Gathering together my remorse like a pile of textbooks, I made my solemn exit, thinking sadly about another friend of mine whose plea was also rejected. Well, life goes on. It isn’t really fair, but who am I to complain?
In the meanwhile I will do my best to save up for spring. Fall semester will be filled with volunteering and activities instead of general education credits, with a focus on searching for a job that can support me in this economy as I continue to go to school.
So thank you again, Sir Dick. Thank you for teaching me hard work and the determination to succeed, no matter how long it takes or the barriers which occur in the course of one’s progress. Thank you for showing me a negative situation and allowing me the opportunity to grow past it. My current situation and the classes I am taking are different than what I expected. But in the process you’ve given me so much more; meeting new people, trying out new things and a lengthy amount of exercise as I bike to and fro my classes.
So thank you, I would like to state with all of my sarcasm intact. Thank you for all of your help.
Sincerely,
M. Bennett
