Good Vibes Only: EPCC student returns to school after facing hardship
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- Age is just a number. And that saying perfectly describes Stephanie Menchey’s journey to the classroom.
The 46-year-old El Paso Community College student returned to school to pursue a degree in social work. She’s proving it’s never too late to follow your dreams!
“I really want to go back to school. And so here I am,” she eagerly told ABC-7.
The dedicated student originally wanted to pursue a criminal justice degree but decided to study social work instead.
“I felt like I was wasting my life just sitting at home when I could go to school and do something to better the world I live in," she explained.
Menchey said there was a learning curve in the beginning. She had to learn how to use the new school management systems, like Blackboard. The last time she was in the classroom was in 1994.
She said most of her peers are much younger than her.
“I don’t feel like the oldest person in the classroom. I fit in with the younger kids fresh out of high school. Age does not play a factor here,” she said.
Menchey said after flunking her first semester, she hit the books hard. She said she was able to earn straight A's in her second term. Menchey said she became addicted to excelling in the classroom!
This distinction led Menchey to become a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. This honor is only awarded to students with a minimum 3.4 GPA--less than 10% of eligible students across the nation are invited. Menchey accepted a lifetime membership in March.
Professor Arturo Acosta said Menchey is an example to others in and out of the classroom. He said Menchey has worked hard to get to where she is now.
"She completes all her work on time. Very responsible. She's a team player, as evident in the classroom. You know, she helps other students. She, you know, earns excellent scores and courses under my supervision and under other faculty supervision,” he said.
But Menchey faced much hardship. She suffered abuse from a previous relationship, which resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety she is still dealing with to this day.
She eventually got the courage to walk away from that relationship. Now she wants to help others who have faced similar situations. She said it was her husband who sparked her interest in social work.
“He's the one that actually suggested, you know, because he works in a trauma center, and he's like, 'Stephanie, the patients that come, in their families, you could help them.' And I was like, okay, well, 'maybe you got a point there,'” she said.
Menchey hopes to encourage others with her own story.
“You're not stuck. You can get out. It's hard. And it's the fight of your life you're going to have to do.''
Menchey is expected to graduate from El Paso Community College next year.
She said she wants to eventually become a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in post-traumatic stress.
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