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May 16, 2008

High-school dropout earns college degree

CCC student finished college while raising 3 kids

By STEPHEN BARTLETT

PLATTSBURGH -- Shannon Finnell dropped out of high school numerous times, starting at 16, before calling it quits two years later.

She struggled through several "lousy" jobs, never figuring higher education was in her future.

But today she graduates from Clinton Community College with an associate's degree in nursing and plans to earn a bachelor's.

"I literally had one hot-headed day at work, was running my mouth and said, I'm going to college,'" said the 34-year-old mother of three girls.

Her attitude was much different at 16.

"I was one of those teenagers who couldn't follow rules."

Miserable, with a chip on her shoulder and perceived knowledge of everything, she quit at 16, went back two years in a row and dropped out again each time before giving up on her education.

"My grades were good, but I didn't like being told what to do and was stubborn."

She turned to work at a convenience store, tried babysitting and finally ended up cleaning at Plattsburgh State.

Seven months pregnant and cleaning dorms, Finnell came across toilet paper stuck to the floor because students had urinated on it. As she scraped the yellow-stained paper from the tiles, she knew she couldn't do the work anymore.

"I got sick of the world kicking my butt and decided to go back to college."

She had earned her GED and ended up at CCC, figuring it would be easy. She was slammed with a reality check once she got into the school's rigorous nursing program.

"I dug my heels in."

It was weird, at first, being back in school at her age and with three children, but she knew what she had to do. At first she worked part time, but balancing homework and a job became difficult.

Freeing herself up from work provided more time for homework, but putting food on the table and paying rent suddenly seemed insurmountable, especially with three daughters.

Her threshold wore thin, with endless homework and a stockpile of bills.

Fortunately, her boyfriend, George Dapo, stepped up to help.

"We've worked poor dad into the ground," Finnell said, their 4-year-old daughter, Abigail, sitting on her lap in their two-bedroom trailer in the City of Plattsburgh.

Plus, her professors at CCC showered her with support, and as she began to receive academic awards, she found her second wind.

"The faculty would really step in and bend over backwards for you," Finnell said. "They really don't want to see you fail."

Some teachers offered to meet her after hours at Burger King.

So she pushed herself forward, pinching pennies and going without, knowing things would improve once she graduated and started her career.

"I can easily see how single moms who want an education can get distracted."

Her hard work paid off, and today she receives her diploma.

She will likely find work right away in nursing but plans to pursue a four-year degree.

"This degree has opened a lot of doors or at least made the steps higher so I can reach the doors I couldn't before."

sbartlett@pressrepublican.com

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