Emy Moreno is Following her Dreams
posted on Monday, May 13, 2019 in
College News
Life hasn’t been easy for Emy Moreno. By 16 she was a new mom and high school dropout. By 18, she had relocated from Boston to Iowa with her partner and young daughter, leaving behind her family and friends.
After two more children and years of abuse, her marriage ended. She entered a new relationship, and had another child. Life was busy, but she wasn’t fulfilled. She had put her own needs on hold for so long, she had never considered doing something for herself. Unsure where to start, her partner suggested getting her GED, which brought her to the Metro Center.
Emy was expecting her fifth child when she completed her GED, and for the first time she started to make real goals. She took some classes in medical billing and coding, but it wasn’t the right fit. If she was going to commit to earning a degree, it had to be something she would love.
“I said ‘let me do what I want to do, not what everyone around me wants me to do’,” she said. “It’s my time, my money, and my dream.”
She enrolled in Police Science and was soon on the Dean’s List. The program offered the career path she wanted, with faculty providing the support her life had so often lacked.
“They have supported me from day one,” Emy said. “I know they’re still going to be there for more after I graduate.”
The last year has been filled with milestones in Emy’s life. She became a grandmother, became a U.S. citizen, and on Friday will become the first person in her family to graduate from college. She hopes to find a job working with youth, helping them avoid the same mistakes she made early in life. It’s a lesson she regularly shares with her children.
“I want to set a good example for them,” she said. “That’s why I went back to school.”
Tags
- Criminal Justice
- Graduation
- High School Completion
- Police Science