VTMBH Article: Body
While growing up in Jamaica, West Indies, Cheryl Sparkes was often told by her teachers and family that education was the key to achieving goals. That was fine with her; she hated missing school so much that she cried when she had to be absent.
But her love of learning took a hiatus when she joined her parents in Canarsie, Brooklyn in 1990, after finishing high school in her homeland. The second-oldest of six children, she realized that having half the family attend college at the same time would have been too great a financial burden on her parents. For seven years, she put off college to take care of her daughter Eleithea as well as her younger siblings.
It was a personal choice. I wanted the others to have their chance even though I was older, she explains. I didnt want to be selfish. I said, `Let them go ahead and do what they have to do. I knew my time would come.
When the opportunity to earn a college degree came, Sparkes grabbed it. All her sacrifices and hard work paid off, as she was named valedictorian of New York City Technical Colleges Class of 2002.
Because of her genuine love of people and the realization that family was important, she chose to earn a bachelor of science degree in human services, with a concentration in children and family services. I believe that the family is at the core of any society, and if one can effect positive changes in the family, this will create a ripple effect on other systems as well, Sparkes says.
During her college career, the 29-year-old Sparkes branched out from her family to effect positive change in her community. She currently volunteers at the Refuge Temple Apostolic Church in Brooklyn as a Sunday schoolteacher and as director of the junior choir. This semester, she completed an internship at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), an organization of volunteers which advocates for abused and neglected children. She also has been a part-time child-care worker at the Brooklyn Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (BSPCC), and a classroom counselor with the Greater Flatbush Beacon Program, where she created a volunteer manual for its after-school program.
In addition, she has made her mark at City Tech as student representative to the colleges Strategic Planning Committee, a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the student member on the board of directors of the City Tech Alumni Association, a student mentor and a member of the Human Services Club.
My only regret is that I didnt have time to share my athletic abilities in volleyball and track by participating on sports teams, Sparkes notes.
Sparkes says she achieved her dream of going to college by working part-time for an auditing company and receiving some support from her mother during her first three semesters. Federal work-study placements in the City Tech human services department and such scholarships as the University Student Senate Scholarship and the Phi Theta Kappa National Deans List Award for the New York Region, enabled her to continue on as a full-time student. After receiving an associates degree in human services with honors in 1999, she immediately went on for a bachelors degree and graduated with a 3.9 grade point average.
While delaying college those seven years involved some sacrifices, Sparkes says there were also benefits. I gained maturity and realized the importance of setting goals and organizing myself in a way so that Id be able to achieve those goals. Taking time off after high school should not be a deterrent for anyone who is considering going to college.
Of course, being a student again was not always easy, she admits. Being out of school so long made me worry about fitting in and I was afraid I wouldnt be able to grasp new ideas in my courses. But Sparkes flourished, and she gives a lot of credit to her friends and spiritual family, as well as her biological family.
Everyone pitched in to help take care of my daughter, who is now ten, and gave me emotional and financial support so that I could continue my studies.
Sparkes is currently looking for a job in the human services field that will allow her to work with children and families. Not surprisingly, education is still on her agenda. She is already researching scholarships and universities in order to obtain a masters degree in social work or a masters in applied psychology.
My goal is to be a social worker or a counselor working with children and families, she says. Five or ten years down the road, I envision being involved in community development, particularly those aspects dealing with policy issues. I want to effect change on a large scale.
But her love of learning took a hiatus when she joined her parents in Canarsie, Brooklyn in 1990, after finishing high school in her homeland. The second-oldest of six children, she realized that having half the family attend college at the same time would have been too great a financial burden on her parents. For seven years, she put off college to take care of her daughter Eleithea as well as her younger siblings.
It was a personal choice. I wanted the others to have their chance even though I was older, she explains. I didnt want to be selfish. I said, `Let them go ahead and do what they have to do. I knew my time would come.
When the opportunity to earn a college degree came, Sparkes grabbed it. All her sacrifices and hard work paid off, as she was named valedictorian of New York City Technical Colleges Class of 2002.
Because of her genuine love of people and the realization that family was important, she chose to earn a bachelor of science degree in human services, with a concentration in children and family services. I believe that the family is at the core of any society, and if one can effect positive changes in the family, this will create a ripple effect on other systems as well, Sparkes says.
During her college career, the 29-year-old Sparkes branched out from her family to effect positive change in her community. She currently volunteers at the Refuge Temple Apostolic Church in Brooklyn as a Sunday schoolteacher and as director of the junior choir. This semester, she completed an internship at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), an organization of volunteers which advocates for abused and neglected children. She also has been a part-time child-care worker at the Brooklyn Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (BSPCC), and a classroom counselor with the Greater Flatbush Beacon Program, where she created a volunteer manual for its after-school program.
In addition, she has made her mark at City Tech as student representative to the colleges Strategic Planning Committee, a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the student member on the board of directors of the City Tech Alumni Association, a student mentor and a member of the Human Services Club.
My only regret is that I didnt have time to share my athletic abilities in volleyball and track by participating on sports teams, Sparkes notes.
Sparkes says she achieved her dream of going to college by working part-time for an auditing company and receiving some support from her mother during her first three semesters. Federal work-study placements in the City Tech human services department and such scholarships as the University Student Senate Scholarship and the Phi Theta Kappa National Deans List Award for the New York Region, enabled her to continue on as a full-time student. After receiving an associates degree in human services with honors in 1999, she immediately went on for a bachelors degree and graduated with a 3.9 grade point average.
While delaying college those seven years involved some sacrifices, Sparkes says there were also benefits. I gained maturity and realized the importance of setting goals and organizing myself in a way so that Id be able to achieve those goals. Taking time off after high school should not be a deterrent for anyone who is considering going to college.
Of course, being a student again was not always easy, she admits. Being out of school so long made me worry about fitting in and I was afraid I wouldnt be able to grasp new ideas in my courses. But Sparkes flourished, and she gives a lot of credit to her friends and spiritual family, as well as her biological family.
Everyone pitched in to help take care of my daughter, who is now ten, and gave me emotional and financial support so that I could continue my studies.
Sparkes is currently looking for a job in the human services field that will allow her to work with children and families. Not surprisingly, education is still on her agenda. She is already researching scholarships and universities in order to obtain a masters degree in social work or a masters in applied psychology.
My goal is to be a social worker or a counselor working with children and families, she says. Five or ten years down the road, I envision being involved in community development, particularly those aspects dealing with policy issues. I want to effect change on a large scale.