College didn't go well for Katie Doshna the first time she tried it, so the mother of four decided to wait until later in life. Once she hit her 40s, she knew the time was right. "My kids were old enough and I was ready. My oldest daughter is in 10th grade and I wanted to instill in them that 'hard work pays off' mentality."
She has done that and much more. Doshna enrolled at Onondaga Community College in the fall 2023 semester and found she fit in right away. "My first semester I took two Human Services classes, one on Diverse Populations. That Professor, Jo Anne Bakeman, changed my whole perspective on everything. She allowed people to really express how they felt about things in class. She always made them feel like their opinion mattered. She was very inspiring."
Her great first semester was the foundation for sustained excellence, and she is about to complete her third straight semester with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. In October, with her children and parents in the audience, she was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. "I worked really hard to get into PTK. I'm so proud of myself. Being successful here has given me a lot more confidence. It always felt like people didn't take me seriously because I stayed home with my kids for so long."
Doshna will complete her OCC degree next May. She's considering transferring to Le Moyne College and pursuing a career in writing. She's looking forward to continuing to juggle life as a college student and a mother. "The kids come home from school and sit down and do their homework while I'm doing my homework. Sometimes they say, 'you're not done yet with school?' They think it's crazy I'm 43 and still in school!"
