Hi! My name is Ruthann Cooper. I grew up in the San Marco area of Jacksonville, Florida. My family is a little dysfunctional, but I love them more than anything. I am an aspiring nurse practitioner and am a nursing major. The most recent recession had a profound effect on the development of my character, and I would like to share it with you. Just like the economy, my dad’s construction business tanked; then my mom lost her full-time job. She became pregnant (something thought medically impossible). We had to go on Medicaid, unemployment benefits, and the WIC program. We nearly lost the only home I have ever known. These events robbed me of my sense of identity.
As the economy continued to tumble, times were stressful in our house. I now had a baby brother, my dad had returned to college, and mom was again working a full-time job, as well as doing freelance work. To keep things running smoothly, it took all of us, including me. At 10 years old, I began taking on more responsibility around the house. I helped with my family’s busy schedule by cooking dinner, doing the dishes, folding laundry, and babysitting. Not only did this make a huge difference in getting things done, but it also taught me important life skills: time management, hard work, and teamwork.
To help ease the ongoing financial burden that weighed on my family, I started baby-sitting and pet sitting around the neighborhood. In high school I had a job as a children’s caretaker. Over holidays I work at a local restaurant. Here in Tallahassee I recently started working at the Tallahassee Orthopedic Center. These jobs have made me realize the importance of teamwork because without my coworkers I would never get anything done. I continue to pay for many things, including my clothes, food, supplies, half of my living expenses, and activities with friends. As a result, I understand the value of a dollar, am experienced at budgeting money, and equally important, I can budget my time.
Watching my dad deal with the consequences of decisions he made about college in earlier years, I learned the importance of going to college right after high school. Entering middle school, I developed one of the most crucial aspects of my schooling: discipline. As I moved forward in grade level so did my ability to do quality work in a timely manner. I started to make lists of things that needed to get done and I made sure I understood an objective before moving forward. Refining my study habits and time management skills early in my education assisted me with my AP classes during high-school and has also been helpful in balancing family, volunteering, and my social life. Here at FSU as a full-time student with a social life, and a job it’s very important for me to stay on top of everything. Biology and Statistics make me the most nervous this semester but I know that I can accomplish anything put in front of me.
Struggles come and go, but today, I stand firm. If I could change the past, I wouldn’t. I am grateful for the hardships especially the recession of 2008. It has prepared me for what lies ahead.