Her Child's Education Inspired a Career Choice
When Geneva Robertson was a junior in high school she was offered the position of sports reporter for her school newspaper. “The reason I was asked was because no one else was interested, but I jumped at the chance.” she says with a smile. She found that she was good at it; so good that the local Eden N.C. paper paid her to cover the local high school sports news.
She had always been a serious student and planned on going on to college. She dreamed of a possible career as a sports journalist but her father had other ideas. He disapproved of her being a sports writer because he felt it wasn’t an appropriate job for a girl. He also informed her that if he was going to pay for her college tuition she was going to the school he chose and major in something practical such as business or accounting.
Father Disapproved of Her Interest in Journalism
Rebelling against her father, she opted not to go to college. Instead, she packed her clothes and moved with a friend to Savannah, Georgia, leaving behind the small town of Wentworth, N.C. where she had grown up.
Discouraged by the job market in Savannah, she moved back to Greensboro. She found work in a variety of clerical jobs, none of which were very satisfying. She found that her lack of a degree prevented her from rising beyond basic clerical work and often found herself in the frustrating position of training an inexperienced college graduate to be her supervisor.
She realized that to have a more satisfying life she needed to return to school to get her degree, but she also needed her paycheck. “A weekly paycheck was my security blanket and to let it go to complete my education was unthinkable.”
In 1989, she finally made the first attempt to begin her college career. She started out slowly, taking evening courses at Guilford Technical Community College. Eventually she quit her day job, found part-time work as a waitress, and enrolled at UNCG full-time. Unfortunately, she made too much money as a waitress to qualify for a Pell Grant and was daunted by the idea of taking on a large debt in student loans. She was offered the position of restaurant manager and decided to take it, thinking that she would continue at UNCG on a part-time basis. The hours that the job demanded made it difficult to keep up with even a part-time schedule and she eventually dropped out of school.
In 1994 Geneva married her husband Jarratt and in 1998 they had a daughter, Elizabeth. Geneva continued to work full-time until Elizabeth suffered a series of bronchial infections and she had to leave her job to care for her daughter.
“I discovered to my surprise that we were able to get by on Jarratt’s salary; I realized my paycheck had gone mostly for the cost of day care and my transportation. Money was tight sometimes but we got by.”
Geneva spent two years at home with Elizabeth. Concerned about her daughter’s education, she contacted the local Smart Start Agency and enrolled in the Parents as Teachers program. “Once a month, I received training on being my daughter’s first teacher.” She also stayed involved with Elizabeth’s former daycare, volunteering time so that Elizabeth could stay in contact with the friends she had developed. She read books and chaperoned field trips. She found the experience enriched her life, “The children hugged me and thanked me for reading to them. I read them books that they enjoyed but that also taught them new concepts and ideas.”
Volunteered at Daughter's Daycare
Her willingness to volunteer at her daughter’s daycare led to her being voted onto the Board of Directors for The Rockingham County Partnership for Children. It was in many ways an education; she learned how her tax dollars were being spent and also gained an appreciation of how community volunteerism impacts the educational opportunities available to its children.
When Elizabeth was five she entered kindergarten and Geneva found herself with time on her hands. She thought about returning to work but hated the idea of dealing with another mindless job. Having discovered that the family could survive on one paycheck, she decided to return to UNCG. Her experience educating her daughter and her involvement in the Partnership for Children led her to consider the idea of becoming a teacher. She started out with one course in education, loved it, and decided to pursue a degree in elementary education.
She has enjoyed her return to school. “The professors at UNCG have been wonderful. After so many years away from school, I have had a lot of extra questions and the professors and the staff have been so willing to spend the time with me to answer them.”
She is not in a hurry to get her degree. The elementary education course work can be completed in two years, but she plans on taking an easier pace. “I have a family and a home to take care of and I want to continue to be an important part of Elizabeth’s education.
She enjoys the full support of her husband, Jarratt , who was a history major and UNCG graduate. Having gone through the experience himself, he understands the pressures that can pile up during a semester. “I can’t say enough about how important his support is - he has gotten me through some stressful situations.”
Although it is hard at times to be a student as well as a wife and mother she has found it all very rewarding, unlike her previous work experience. “At the end of the day I don’t have that empty feeling. I’m not bored and restless any longer.” She looks forward to her graduation and her future career in teaching.
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Page updated: 06-May-2009
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