Old Dogs

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!”

An ages old saying. Folk wisdom. Set in stone. Incontrovertible.

I, respectfully, disagree!

In 2003, I lost my Kelly Temporary administrative assistant position (one I had held for three years) with Allison Transmission in Indianapolis when they merged with GM Powertrain. As a result, my house fell into foreclosure, and I had to sell it and move out.

I relocated to Florida for two reasons: I had family there (Brevard County), and I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering supplemented by nearly four years of actual research and development work at the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Edwards AFB, CA. With those credentials, I felt I could find gainful employment in a state where the aerospace industry was so well represented.

Once in Florida, I began applying to every aerospace company I could find: Harris Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Morton Thiokol, United Space Alliance, Kennedy Space Center, Patrick Air Force Base, ad infinitum, ad nauseam. For ten years, I searched and prayed. The responses I got back fell into exactly three categories:

1. I never heard back from them
2. I was told I was overqualified for the position
3. I was told they couldn’t afford to pay me what I was worth

While all this was happening, I managed to find part-time work as a cashier at a local supermarket, Publix. For ten years, I hoped and prayed I’d find better work with my Aerospace Engineering degree, but to no avail. Then, one day, while standing at the register at Publix, I took a look around me and told myself, “I don’t want to do this the rest of my life!” So, in 2012, at the age of 57, I decided a radical career change was needed. But which path to take?

Back in 2007, I first heard about the virtual world of Second Life, so I checked it out. It didn’t take long for me to realize I loved designing things in that virtual world, and I soon had set up a small in-world shop where I could design things for fellow Second Lifers.

That became the foundation I wanted to build on, so I did some research about the local colleges and universities in Florida that taught Computer Animation and eventually settled on Full Sail University because of its reputation and presence in the entertainment industry. Oddly enough, it was a private interview with one of the academic counselors that finally set everything in motion. He had tried to talk me out of pursuing Computer Animation; he didn’t think it was right for me.

The next day, I met with the financial advisors at Full Sail and applied for educational funding. It was difficult for several reasons. In order to even get approval for loans, I had to sign up for what they called their extended track (a three-year program versus their more accelerated courses). I also had no cosigners for any of my student loans: my parents were retired, my sister had just gone through a messy divorce, and my brother, legally blind, was subsisting on Social Security. And, finally, while the loans paid for my tuition, there was nothing left over to pay any sort of living expenses. In order to stay in school, I also had to continue working my part-time job at Publix.

I was excited about returning to school after being away for so long, but I quickly learned that I had a lot to learn… and fast! This wasn’t like that old adage… trying to drink from a fire hydrant. There were times I felt like I was trying to take a drink while standing in front of an open flood gate of a dam! There were nights at home that I cried myself to sleep, wondering if I’d ever figure it all out.

Three years later, in March of 2015, I graduated from Full Sail University with my new Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Animation. In the process, I earned five different Course Directors’ awards and the Advanced Achiever Award (given out to only one student in each graduating class). I also graduated Salutatorian of my class with a 3.59 final GPA out of a possible 4.0… proving that academic counselor was wrong about me!

Now, as I celebrate my 60th birthday, I can honestly say that you can teach an old dog new tricks, especially when the drive and determination are there! All I need now is for somebody to give me a chance to prove that my 3.59 GPA was no fluke and that I am up to whatever task they set for me!

Don’t tell me what I can’t do. I will only try that much harder to prove you wrong!