Tamarah, 32, is on track to graduate in May 2024, with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work through the Kirley School of Continuing Education.
She transferred to Elms College from Springfield Technical Community College after earning her associate’s degree. She is planning to seek her master’s degree in social work and has her eye on attending Elms College for that as well.
I was looking for a college that fit my home life because I’m a single mom with two kids, ages 6 and 11. That’s why I chose Elms because they have a Saturday program. It worked for me, flexibility-wise, because I was able to work full-time with the state Department of Children and Families, take care of my family, and still go to school.
The flexibility at Elms was really different compared to other programs at other schools. I go to school one day a week, on Saturdays. I take two classes at a time, but because it is an accelerated program, classes are eight weeks long, and after every eight weeks, I’ve completed two more classes.
I absolutely love the relationships I have with my faculty and the people in my classes. We are in the same cohort, so the same students take the same classes together, and we see the same professors a lot because they teach multiple classes. I feel like everybody is super supportive, and they want to see you succeed. When I started I didn’t really know the people in my classes, and now we’ve become really, really good friends and everyone is there to support each other.
I didn’t think I was going to do as well as I have. I’m pretty much a straight-A student, and I’ve never been one of those before. In high school, I was content to get a B or C in classes. Here I push for A’s. There was a gap of a few years between high school and college, and over that time I’ve become more mature. That has played a large role in how well I do in school with getting stuff done. In the beginning, I was nervous, especially because writing is such a nerve-wracking thing for me, but over time, my teachers have just helped guide and elevate me.
I’m going for my master’s right away. I was going to take a break but now I’m going right away. Elms is opening its master’s program in social work in the fall so I’m looking to stay here for it. I’m going to stay with DCF, but am looking to transition from a technician to a social worker.
My advice to anyone in my position is that you can do it. Being a mom, working full-time, and having so many other responsibilities, it can be discouraging. Sometimes I ask myself how am I ever going to finish school. I tell myself it can be done by staying focused and working hard, and the connections and relationships I’ve built with my classmates and teachers can help me keep pushing.
