Successful late bloomer Jean Kelley was a welfare mother who longed for a college education. Through a government program, she landed a non-paying clerical position at a community college. After proving her worth, she was eventually put on the payroll.To make ends meet, Kelley started working nights at a second job. Still barely making enough money to support her two children--and fully realizing she needed a degree to get ahead--she was forced to rely on her ingenuity to finance her dreams.
First, taking advantage of her employee benefits, she enrolled in free classes on her lunch hour. Then through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), she earned credits for several more courses. She even obtained credits for life experience.
Before long, she had a full year of college under her belt.
Eventually, Kelley earned a Ph.D. and became a college administrator at the very school where two decades before she had started as a clerk. (See photo above.)
Photo courtesy of J. Kelley.
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