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Save money for college by my own
I will never forget one day in my first year in high school. I was sitting on the stairs descending1) into the basement, putting my head in my hands and crying out in despair to my parents that I would never be able to save enough money for college. My parents tried to console me, but it seemed impossible to save ＄64,268, the cost for the private institution that I desperately wanted to attend.
Now let me tell you the amazing story of how I earned this sum of money.
It all began with a paper route in Ankeny, IA. I hated delivering that route, but was determined to stick it out for six months until my family moved to Wausau, WI. With a few meager2) dollars from my paper route, a small nest egg began to develop. My next job was with an athletic company as a telephone customer service representative. The savings account continued to grow very slowly. Then, the fall of my junior year of high school, I began to waitress at Denny’s restaurant. It was hard work, but the money began to roll in3) and this job paid at least twice as much money per hour.
By the time my senior year arrived, I had saved a considerable amount of money. This was encouraging, but I knew that I would also need some help, so began the process of applying for scholarships. Sometimes it was discouraging because I was rejected again and again. Then, my first scholarship offer came in, ＄2,000 a year to play tennis. This is only a small dent4) at a school that costs approximately ＄14,000 a year, but it was a start. Several other academic scholarships also came my way5) and soon I was up to have ＄9,050 in scholarships. Between scholar-ships and savings, I had enough money for my first year.
Another interesting development emerged. I began testing out of classes. Running anxiously to the mailbox in anticipation of my test scores became part of my daily routine. Excitement mounted6) as test after test came back with passing results. Each passing result saved me approximately ＄1,000 in tuition and then enabled me to graduate a year early. This would save room and board7) expenses as well.
Finally, I was off to college. Because of careful saving, I did not have to work during the school year. Then, summer hit and it was time to work harder than ever. I continued working as a waitress at night, instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons. Being a little overzealous, I decided to also take a class at a community college. This class at the community college saved me ＄650. It was an exhausting summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at college.
During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling, I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from draining8) my savings. The overall situation looked hopeful as I approached my senior year as long as I could make as much money as I had the previous summer. That is when I decided to go to Israel to study for ３ weeks. I hesitated in making this decision and had just about decided not to go because it would cost me ＄1,600 more to get the credits in Israel. About two weeks later my Mom called to tell me that I had ＄1,600 in the bank that I had forgotten about. One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost, but the loss of time to make money；however, I made as much that summer in the ten weeks that I was home as I had made during the fourteen weeks that I was home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip feasible was one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me.
Finally, my senior year of college was upon me and to keep things interesting, I decided to buy a car. I obviously did not have a lot of money to spend for a car and yet I wanted something reliable to make the ten-hour trips between home and school. I searched many newspaper ads and my father and I began searching for good used cars. I was ecstatic when I found a crashed car that had been fixed up for only ＄4,200.
Then, I also attended an ８-week course on marriage and family in Colorado. This was an incredible experience that taught me a great deal about my worldview and how to develop a healthy family. This experience was also very costly, ＄4,000. I was surprised to find that I had graduated with no debt and so many remarkable journeys along the way.
This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic. Working long hours did a lot to mold my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to craft creative solutions to difficult dilemmas9).
Whenever I am overwhelmed or afraid of the future, I can remember my ＄64,268 miracle.
□by Ginger Butler
