Cassidy: A fictional story of staying strong
Cassidy is a 23-year-old female and a full-time student at Pellissippi State Community College. Upon beginning school, Cassidy works several days a week at a call center and on weekends as a server at a local bar and grille. In high school, Cassidy dreamed of going to medical school at a nearby university, but her family could not afford the yearly tuition and books, much less a meal plan and on-campus housing. After graduation, Cassidy decided to take a year off to save money for college and began working in the service industry, where she met her boyfriend. The one year off from school became five and Cassidy and her boyfriend now live together in an apartment with their two small children. While Cassidy would say her life has been good these past five years, even with her two jobs and her boyfriend working sixty hours a week, it’s a struggle to pay bills. As a result, Cassidy decided to take classes at Pellissippi State with the goal of becoming a nurse.
Cassidy begins by completing her application and the FAFSA form for financial aid and visits the financial aid office to see about funding. While there, Cassidy is thrilled to find out that she qualifies for both a Pell Grant and the Reconnect Grant for adult students. A sense of relief washes over Cassidy as the financial aid officer assures her that the Reconnect funds will pay the remaining balance of her tuition after her Pell Grant is applied. After figuring out financial aid, Cassidy visits an advisor to sign up for courses. The advisor helps Cassidy select and sign up for classes and tells Cassidy about the TRIO center, which Cassidy qualifies for as a first-generation college student. Not only will TRIO tutors help Cassidy with her class work, but she can ask questions about financial aid and coursework, attend educational seminars, participate in cultural activities, and figure out which four-year college or university she wants to attend after graduation. If that is not enough, Cassidy also learns about the Stay Strong Success Center from her Advisor. This is where Cassidy would meet with her personal coach and receive the guidance and resources that she needs to have a smooth transition into college. Cassidy can’t believe all the resources she has at her disposal at Pellissippi State.
As fall semester begins, Cassidy is excited about her classes, her professors, and her new career goals. She had been dreading the cost of her textbooks, but two of her professors put the class textbooks on reserve at her campus library. On the first day, she drives her twelve-year-old maroon Honda Civic across town toward the campus, ignoring the knocking noise that comes from the car’s right wheel well and singing along at the top of her lungs to a Lizzo song. Cassidy’s stomach flutters as she enters her first class, sits down in a blue chair, and tries to log onto the computer. However, the professor soon enters the room and introduces herself as Dr. C., then proceeds to take roll and group up students to get to know each other. Cassidy feels more at ease. Maybe I do belong here, she thinks. During the first weeks of classes, while Cassidy is tired and sometimes feels pulled between juggling parenting, two jobs, and coursework, she rejoices in the high grades she’s making on her assignments. She takes advantage of college resources like the Academic Tutoring Center and considers joining a club. Cassidy can often complete her coursework at home (and save gas money!) using the Libraries’ digital collections with help from the Ask a Librarian chat service. She also gets started organizing a study group through the Navigate Study Buddies feature with classmates from her biology class.
During week four of classes, Cassidy’s mother, who watches Cassidy’s children, becomes ill and can no longer keep the kids in her home. Cassidy asks other family members and her boyfriend’s parents for help, but none are able or willing to commit to babysitting. Cassidy’s boyfriend, who works in manufacturing, can’t afford to miss work. With no childcare, Cassidy begins skipping her afternoon classes to care for her children after her boyfriend leaves for work.
Classmates from the group text reach out to ask Cassidy what’s going on, but she doesn’t reply. None of them have children, so how could they possibly understand? Cassidy thinks. Her TRIO tutor also reaches out to her, and Cassidy plans to visit the TRIO Center and get caught up, but her boyfriend gets called in to work an extra shift at the plant and she has no childcare, so she skips the appointment. Cassidy’s grades begin to slip, and she receives e-mails from the Navigate progress report system that express her instructors’ concerns about the issues Cassidy is having with her courses. Yet with no childcare, Cassidy falls further and further behind. I don’t know how I’ll ever make it through this semester, she thinks with a sigh.
Things go from bad to worse when Cassidy is forced to quit her call center job. Her boyfriend’s work hours have changed and now he is unable to care for the children at all during the day. With only her server job, Cassidy’s income is reduced significantly, and she begins to worry how she and her boyfriend will buy formula, diapers, and even food. Cassidy’s stomach sinks when she finds a letter in the mailbox informing her that the landlord has just increased the rent by fifty dollars a month. As Cassidy sets out for the grocery store one day, her car makes a shuddering sound and dies, and Cassidy slowly gets out, picks up her children, and walks back into the apartment. She sinks down onto the couch under a wave of depression and anxiety. Well, there go my dreams of attending college and becoming a nurse, she thinks.
Cassidy sees her laptop lying on the scratched coffee table in front of her. The computer has been acting up lately, and the screen flickers as she logs in. She doesn’t know why she should even check her Brightspace account and dreads seeing the growing list of zeros for her missed assignments. Yet she feels compelled to check her e-mail, so she logs into MyPellissippi and finds a message from her English professor, which reads:
“Cassidy, we’ve really been missing you in class. I know you mentioned in the class discussion we had when you were last here that your mother has been ill—is there any news about her condition? You had also stayed after class to let me know about your job situation. I know this must be a really hard time for you. Please get in touch with me so we can talk about how to get caught up in the course. You were doing such great work. The college has lots of resources to help in times like these, and I’d be happy to put you in touch with some of them. –Dr. C.”
Cassidy feels like retreating to her bedroom, lying on the bed, and looking for a film on YouTube. She looks over and sees her two little ones playing with a stuffed rabbit. Her oldest holds a toy stethoscope to the rabbit’s chest, and her youngest tucks a pink blanket around the rabbit’s legs. Cassidy picks up her cell phone and calls Dr. C. to find out about getting some help. While on the phone, Dr. C. tells Cassidy about Student Care and Advocacy and asks whether she could issue a Panther Care notification in Navigate to get Cassidy all possible help.
After the conversation, Cassidy schedules a phone conversation with a contact Dr. C. gives her: Brandy, the Student Care and Advocacy Student Specialist. In the phone conversation with Brandy, Cassidy discusses all the non-academic barriers she has been facing. Brandy listens intently and when Cassidy finishes, Brandy takes a few moments to paraphrase what Cassidy has shared.
- Childcare
- Forced to quit job
- Rent increase
- Food, diapers, and formula
- Car repair
Cassidy confirms that Brandy has summarized the problems well, and Brandy assures Cassidy that there are resources both on campus and in the community that can help. Brandy commits to putting together a list of relevant resources, and they schedule an in-person, follow-up appointment for the next day.
Cassidy arrives on time for her appointment, and after exchanging some pleasantries, Brandy transitions into providing resources and problem-solving with Cassidy. Clearly, Cassidy’s biggest need is childcare; since she doesn’t have a babysitter, Cassidy has to bring the children to the meeting with her. Brandy notices that the children are well-behaved, though, and they play quietly on Cassidy’s phone while she and Brandy talk. Brandy shares information about the East Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Center along with information on Smart Steps, a child care payment assistance program. She tells Cassidy that the Knoxville Community Action Committee’s (CAC) Head Start program might also be an option. Cassidy feels a sense of relief wash over her and plans to immediately explore these resources.
Brandy also tells Cassidy that the college can help with some immediate financial relief. She helps Cassidy complete the application for the Pellissippi Pantry where Cassidy can get free access to groceries for her and her family. Brandy also asks Cassidy to complete the PSCC Scholarship Application and lets Cassidy know that both the Student Opportunity and/or General Scholarship funds might be able to provide some short-term financial assistance. Cassidy isn’t sure how much her car repair might cost, but Brandy knows that the Pellissippi State Foundation has been able to award money for car repairs in the past, depending on how much was needed, and encourages Cassidy to get a quote or two from local mechanics. Cassidy gratefully says she will start making some calls as soon as she leaves the appointment. In the meantime, Brandy makes Cassidy aware of transportation resources she might be able to use to make it to class if she can resolve the childcare issue. She tells Cassidy about Knoxville Area Transit’s (KAT) Semester Pass Program, CAC’s Transit program, or UTK’s the “T” bus service and shows Cassidy how helpful these services would be.
Brandy can tell that Cassidy is motivated but a little overwhelmed. Cassidy watches her children out of the corner of her eye and occasionally chews her fingernails. Brandy asks about Cassidy’s mood over the last few weeks, and, with tears in her eyes, Cassidy acknowledges that she has been feeling both anxious and depressed because of her circumstances. Brandy assures Cassidy that this emotional response is completely normal and to be expected in such difficult circumstances and provides information on PSCC’s Counseling Services. Cassidy gratefully says she is going to schedule a virtual appointment tomorrow and that she can’t wait to meet with someone soon.
Brandy concludes the appointment by providing information on the Pellissippi State Career Development office and encourages Cassidy to consider working with these professionals on her employment needs. Brandy highlights campus employment as a great option for stable work that does not conflict with Cassidy’s school schedule. Cassidy can’t help but cry as she thanks Brandy profusely and gets ready to leave. “Can I give you a hug?” Cassidy asks as she wipes tears from her eyes. They really do care, Cassidy thinks, and as she walks outside into the fresh, cool air, she feels like she can breathe for the first time in weeks.
Eighteen months later, Cassidy watches her graduation cap soar up into the air with the others that students are tossing around her. As she sees the tassel ripple against the blue sky, her heart races with joy and excitement. Her journey is not over; in fact, it has just begun. In a few short months she’ll be continuing her education at a local four-year college. She still has the goal of being a nurse, but now she thinks she might even go further and become a doctor. Cassidy catches her boyfriend’s eye in the audience, and he smiles and waves, bouncing their youngest child up and down. Cassidy can hear her little one’s shrieks of delight even through the cheers and applause for the other graduates. Her future is bright, just like mine, Cassidy thinks, smiling out at Brandy, Dr. C., her TRIO tutor, and the other people who helped her on her journey. Cassidy closes her eyes and lets the sun stream across her face.
— Written by Assistant Professor Anna Childs, with contributions from interim Student Care and Advocacy Director Christian Lockhart and other Low-Income Student Services Taskforce members