CSM graduate perseveres after 15-year quest for degree

Friday, December 15, 2017

OMAHA, NEB. – The acclaimed author Victor Hugo once described perseverance as a “secret of all triumph.” For College of Saint Mary graduate Jennifer Worth, it is this and, perhaps, more.

Worth, who is a single mom, will be the first to admit her path to a degree has been unconventional. For the ’02 Arlington High School graduate, the road to a college degree stretched 15 years and wound through six different colleges. Now, after persevering down that bumpy path for more than a decade, she will earn her degree on Saturday, Dec. 16, with her dream job already lined up.

“I’ve been wanting this for so long,” she said. “Life took me different ways, and it’s long overdue. This means so much to me and for my family.”

Worth says if not for her parents’ willingness to watch over her son while she worked and went to school, she may not be in this position. Her 5-year-old son, Jordan, is currently in pre-school. “You should’ve seen the smile on his face when I told him ‘no more homework for mommy’”.

Worth spent much of her early academic career searching for the right path. She has always been drawn to art and wanted to help others, but the best combination for a productive career was not always so clear. She tried a few colleges early on that felt disconnected, didn’t seem to offer a strong support network, or simply did not seem to care.

However, she continued to try new options, all the while juggling motherhood, long commutes, and part-time jobs. She gave online college a shot, but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. She managed to find one college where she felt at home, but after a short stint there, it closed down altogether. All-in-all, she tried out six different colleges over more than a decade, all the while facing the hectic grind of life as a working mom. She says, although she never lost sight of her dreams, she became frustrated with college and the lack of community.

“Juggling being a single mom with work and school is hard,” Worth said. “I felt lost, what am I supposed to do? I need to finish my degree. Online classes have always been hard for me. What do I do? “

Still, despite her academic frustrations, Worth forged ahead by opening herself up to learning opportunities in new jobs. She took a job as a teaching assistant at St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Elkhorn, NE, and she quickly fell in love with the mission of the faith-based institution. It was here she was encouraged by the teachers she worked with to give college another shot.

“The teachers I was working with at St. Patrick’s really inspired me to finish my degree.”

Her new found admiration for value-driven institutions motivated her to try College of Saint Mary. Almost immediately after enrolling, she says she noticed CSM was different. She says once she was in the right environment, surrounded by the right people, the pieces began to fall into place.

"Right away I felt so connected to the faculty,” she said. “You’re constantly seeing familiar faces, the professors remembering your name…That’s what made this feel like a family.”

At CSM she says she found the support she had been looking for all along. She still faced the demanding lifestyle she always had, but now she says she experienced an inclusive, supportive environment – something that made all the difference.

“The support for single mothers is amazing, and it’s one of the many reasons I love CSM. It just warms my heart to see faculty, staff, and students so welcoming.”

CSM professors quickly recognized Worth’s eagerness to learn.

“She developed a real enthusiasm for theology during her time here,” says Aline Paris, RSM, professor of theology. “She brought her exuberance to every class. She was a real joy to teach. Such curiosity. And we welcome that sort of curiosity here.”

Since arriving to CSM in 2016, Worth has been on a mission to finally receive that diploma. As she entered with an education major in mind, she didn’t feel it was the degree that was the best fit for a future in social work, and she wanted to graduate within the year. So, she went to her team of counselors at CSM and asked for direction.

“The advisors were going over my three-page list of transfer credits. They said, ‘What about humanities?’” Worth said. “I thought, ‘Well that makes sense’… Once [I] had this desire to try something different, they supported [me] in it and made [me] feel confident and competent to do it.”

With the help of her advisors, she charted her path and decided on pursuing a degree in humanities. Soon after, she says another helpful nudge allowed yet another piece fall into place. In order to get her degree, she needed to complete a career-focused course called Humanities Coordinating Seminar. For the class, she was given direction on writing resumes and asked to apply to her dream job. She quickly found an ideal position at Habitat for Humanity, where she could serve the community and change lives.

“I saw a job posting for Habitat for Humanity, and I was like, ‘that’s perfect’…I decided I’m just going to go for it,” Worth said.

The decision paid off. After sending the resume she crafted in class, she received a call for an interview and was hired as Family Services Admin at Habitat for Humanity. In the role, she will carry the mission-driven values she developed at CSM into the community.

“It’s the same thing [at Habitat] as at College of Saint Mary,” she says. “We are putting the people we serve first and their needs first. They come from different backgrounds, different situations, and we are respectful to their culture and their needs…At the end of the day, it is servicing the families of the community.”

In her new position, she works directly under the Family Services Coordinator, helping with the application process and connecting families from a range of background with the resources they need.

“Jennifer impressed us from the start,” says Emily Nohner, Program Director at Habitat for Humanity of Omaha. “She fills a room with her positive energy and tenacity. We knew as soon as we interviewed her that she would be a perfect fit in our organization and we are so thrilled to have her working with our team. She has a bright future.”

For Worth, her perseverance has not only lifted her to new triumphs, it opened the doors to lifelong values, helped her discover her passion, and shaped her life. In December, she will graduate from CSM with a bachelor’s degree in humanities and a minor in theology. College of Saint Mary’s Winter Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16 in Lied Fitness Center.