Simply put, I am truly just Jamie.  I have spent my whole life being someone’s daughter, someone’s wife, and someone’s mom.  I will always be two of those things, but what I have learned from divorce is that I am not a failure, and it is now time for me to discover, and live the life that was meant for me.  After working as a professional photographer for 12 years, I returned to college in 2009 and think I may never leave.  Being a non-traditional college student has not only opened my eyes to a whole new world, but has brought people into my life, and the lives of my children, that I may have never crossed paths with.  I have found amazing mentors in the university faculty, and with people in non-profit organizations, I have volunteered with, but I have also been touched by all of the young students I have had the fortune to meet.

Each one of these students has their own story and holds a special place in my heart.  Returning to college in my forties was frightening, but instead I have learned as much from these students as I have from my classes.  My own children inspire me to the best person I can be, so that they will also be the best people they can be.  Just as I want to discover what motivates me, I want them to discover their inner passions as well. Being in college with my own kids, this second time around, has been fantastic.  I hope to show with my blog that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. Since returning, I have achieved two Bachelor’s degrees along with a minor, a Master’s degree, and now am pursuing my Doctorate.  Every day is a fresh start, and I am to choose the direction that my first steps take out my door.  I want to live the rest of my life helping my family, other students, other moms, advocating for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, and always myself.  It’s been said before, that in order to save others, you must always put the oxygen mask on yourself first.  My life isn’t half over, it has just begun.