Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Striking Out On My Own
My name is Todd, and I’m hoping someone will read this and give me some advice. I’m 17, and I currently live in Montana. I recently moved here to get as far away from my old life as possible. When I arrived in Montana I had nothing. I was lucky to find a job working at a family run Italian restaurant in the town where I arrived. I’m lucky to have a great boss (Brad). The owner of the restaurant is renting me a room on the second floor of the building, and charges me a very reasonable rate. He also lets me eat 2 meals per day at the restaurant for free.
When I was 12, I was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance of my mother’s. My mom worked at a local fast food restaurant. The owner took a liking to me, and asked if I could help out around the restaurant. He offered to improve my mom’s schedule and increase her pay if she would let me “help out”. The assault happened after the first (and only) time that I was dropped off at the restaurant to help the man. When I arrived, the guy offered me a Pepsi, and I don’t remember much of what happened after that. I’m told that I was quite confused about the day and time when my mom picked me up. I was also in a lot of pain. It turns out that the man drugged me and assaulted me during the time that I was supposed to be helping him around the restaurant. When I told my mom about the pain, she initially acted unconcerned. I had a ton of rage ever since I discovered what had happened to me. My mother was never very supportive, and she denies having any idea that the man would do this. The man was arrested, but I was terrified of testifying in front of him, and so he’s since been released.
By the time I reached 17, I could no longer stand looking at my mom, or the town where this happened. I just wanted to get as far away as I possibly could, so I hitchhiked across the country to Montana. I’m very lucky to have found Brad. When I came into the restaurant to get lunch, all I had was 5 dollars, and I probably looked like a mess. Brad saw my condition and took an interest in me. We struck up a conversation and he offered me a job at the restaurant. While working at Brad’s eatery, I’ve discovered that I really like working in the food industry. I’d love to become a chef, or maybe even a dietician. I figure that I’ll need to go to school to do this. If I get my GED, will I be able to get into college? What’s the best way for me to go about getting a college degree? Do you think that I'll be able to handle college better than high school, because now I'm away from where all this happened?
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Dear Todd,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about all of the trouble you had at home and your assault. Branching out at 17 years old on your own must be very hard and scary for you. I would like to provide you with some information that I think might be beneficial to you. First of all, as it relates to your education, approximately 98% of colleges and universities now accept a GED certificate as a replacement for a standard high school diploma (Learning Path, 2015). In addition to getting your GED, it may also be beneficial for you to participate in SAT and/or ACT testing if you wish to get into a good college. The standard cost to take either of these tests is $54.50 and you can register online to take the test and set up a testing site. Secondly, even though you moved away from the place where the sexual assault took place and the people that were causing you anger, it does not sound like you have been able to fully address this trauma. It is normal to feel fearful, especially since your victimizer was not prosecuted. Studies have found that students who have been exposed to trauma typically have lower grade point averages (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.). This is why it may be important for you to address this trauma prior to and/or while attending school. In the state of Montana, they have a national sexual assault hot line, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which you can call (Montana Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence, 2010). This number will guide you to services that are available in your area. I hope that you find this information helpful and wish you the best of luck in the future.
Sincerely,
BLAKE, THOMAS
References
Learning Path (2015). Is the GED Enough to Get Me into College? Retrieved November 16, 2015 from, http://learningpath.org/articles/Is_the_GED_Enough_to_Get_Me_Into_
College.html
Montana Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence (2010). Get Help. Retrieved November 16, 2015 from, http://mcadsv.com/get-help/
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (n.d.). The Effects of Trauma on Schools and Learning. Retrieved November 16, 2015 from, http://www.nctsn.org/resources/
audiences/school-personnel/effects-of-trauma
Blog # 7
ReplyDeleteDear Todd,
I am sorry to hear about all of the trouble you had at home and your assault. Branching out at 17 years old on your own must be very hard and scary for you. I would like to provide you with some information that I think might be beneficial to you. First of all, as it relates to your education, approximately 98% of colleges and universities now accept a GED certificate as a replacement for a standard high school diploma (Learning Path, 2015). In addition to getting your GED, it may also be beneficial for you to participate in SAT and/or ACT testing if you wish to get into a good college. The standard cost to take either of these tests is $54.50 and you can register online to take the test and set up a testing site. Secondly, even though you moved away from the place where the sexual assault took place and the people that were causing you anger, it does not sound like you have been able to fully address this trauma. It is normal to feel fearful, especially since your victimizer was not prosecuted. Studies have found that students who have been exposed to trauma typically have lower grade point averages (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.). This is why it may be important for you to address this trauma prior to and/or while attending school. In the state of Montana, they have a national sexual assault hot line, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which you can call (Montana Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence, 2010). This number will guide you to services that are available in your area. I hope that you find this information helpful and wish you the best of luck in the future.
Sincerely,
BLAKE, THOMAS