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Marie Welsh '19
Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Studies
In 1997, after my daughter Kristen was born, being a mom became my career and it was my honor to do so. Once in high school, my daughter, who had started dancing at the age of three and knew by the time she was in middle school that she wanted to be a professional dancer, began training in New York City. As her mother, this meant years of spending countless hours in the car, driving back and forth to New York, so that she could pursue her dreams. It all paid off, and I can proudly that she is now a Radio City Rockette.
During my time raising Kristen, I attended the local community college and took a few courses, but because of her rigorous dance training schedule, my college education was put on hold. Once she graduated from high school and moved to New York, I knew it was time to pursue my dream.
When I began my search for colleges focused on adult learning, Bay Path University wasn’t a college that I was familiar with. After spending many hours researching, I came across The American Women’s College. Once reading about their mission and goals, I knew that TAWC was right for me. I decided to major in Leadership and Organizational studies program because I knew that these classes were going to give me back the self-assurance needed for re-entering the workforce. Being out of the workforce for over twenty years, the LOS program taught me the importance of developing my unique leadership skills, how to advance in a new career, how to return to the workforce with confidence, and the importance of letting my voice be heard.
Despite being insecure when I started, and thinking that I didn’t have what it takes to earn my degree, I am proud to share that I maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout my academic career, as well as making the Dean’s List after each semester.
My academic journey at TAWC has assisted in returning to me qualities like resilience, strength, courage, and determination. I could not have imagined four years ago that I would be given an opportunity to share my story and truly feeling like I had something to share. I do.